The Tactician and the Black Fang
by Yolashillinia
Summary: Volume 3 of my Tactician of Elibe series. Ceniro's back in Lycia, when who else needs his aid but Lord Eliwood of Pherae? Novelization of the first 10 chapters of Eliwood's route. Tactician/Lyn, Eliwood/Ninian. Complete.
1. Chapter 1: Taking Leave

Written in 2013.

Author's note: Ceniro is pronounced 'keh-NEER-oh' as it is originally from Quenya.

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Chapter 1: Taking Leave

No one in the inn of Feres Village paid much attention to the stranger who entered at sunset one summer evening. His green cloak was dirty and ragged; his brown hair in dire need of a trim; but his grey eyes were cheerful, if tired.

He only wanted a meal, he told the innkeeper – he couldn't afford a room.

The innkeeper shrugged and told him to find a corner anywhere he liked after the inn closed.

Ceniro thanked him with a big smile on his shy face; Pherae was just as friendly as he had left it. It probably helped that he looked quite harmless and had a Santaruz accent.

When morning broke, the young tactician was startled out of his sleep by shouting and screaming from outside. He jumped up, heedless of the crick in his neck, hurriedly fastening his cloak, and ran out to see what was happening.

Bandits were attacking, were already inside the village walls. One of them was roaring about gold and loot and tribute and Ceniro rolled his eyes. Then he caught sight of a shaking young man in yellow armour, guarding a young – very young – woman, out of sight of the bandits. The knight had a horse, but was apparently too nervous to ride.

Ceniro slipped over to him. "Hey. Who are you?"

"I'm Lowen of Pherae, sir; bodyguard to Lord Eliwood. W-we're trapped! How are we g-going to make it out of this?"

"Shh, shh," the girl tried to sooth him. "It's okay. There'll be an opening. We can go for help soon."

Ceniro popped out his farseer, tucking his staff under his arm, and disabled the troop scanner so the flash wouldn't give away their position. The map of the surrounding area was still there from the previous day. "Lowen, yes? We have to make it to the castle to bring reinforcements, is that the plan?" He glanced around, peeking carefully out of the alley.

"Lord Eliwood and General Marcus are nearby, but I don't know where," Lowen said. "Wh-what is that?"

"It's the source of our salvation," Ceniro said. "Sorry, that's too dramatic. It's a tactical tool. The bandits aren't here yet. Do we care if they follow us?"

"Yes, we care!" the girl said. "They'll kill us!"

"You're carrying a bow," Ceniro pointed out. "You probably don't want to kill anyone, but you might have to."

She drew herself up determinedly. "I will kill anyone who threatens my lord's land and my papa."

"Good girl. All right. Lowen, you and…"

"Rebecca."

"Rebecca get on the horse. I'll be right behind you. Follow my directions and I'll get you to Lord Eliwood safely."

"How can we trust you?" Lowen asked. The girl pinched him where the armour didn't cover. "Ow! You're far too calm in this situation."

"I've been in this situation before. I can handle it. My name is Ceniro, I'm from Santaruz, I'm an Ostia-trained tactician. Do you trust me?"

"He's obviously a good guy. I trust him." Rebecca shouldered her bow and nodded at him.

"Hurry," Ceniro urged. "I don't know this village well, but we have to move now."

Lowen helped Rebecca onto his horse behind him. "Are you sure you don't want a ride, Sir Ceniro?"

Ceniro peered around the corner. "Go… now! Go, go, go." He sprinted for the second gate of the village. As he ran, he activated the farseer's scan, knowing that Lowen's horse would attract as much attention or more than the magic flare, and he would need to be able to see where the enemies were.

Lowen galloped past him.

"We're going to be flanked!" Ceniro yelled. "Lowen, move right!"

Lowen moved away from the charging bandit, glancing back at Ceniro, who was much slower than a horse, even if he was slightly faster than the fat bandits.

"Don't worry about me!" Ceniro shouted, dodging an axe swing and running as hard as he could. The bandits were almost all at the other end of town, but more were coming in their direction. He left the road, hoping it would slow them down more than it slowed him. "Ride to that hill, I'll meet you at the foot!"

Of course, now the bandits had heard that. Crap. How fast could he add Lowen and Rebecca to the 'allies' category? With one hand, since he was still carrying his staff with the other?

Forget that.

The bandits were still on his heels; he could hear grunts and yells and once in a while, the whoosh of an axe. He didn't dare turn around – that was the best way to trip and die, especially on this fallow field.

An arrow whizzed through the air, and someone behind him yelled in pain. Lowen was waiting ahead of him under a small group of trees, and Rebecca was nocking another arrow to her bow.

"Go get Lord Eliwood," Ceniro panted. "Have him bring reinforcements."

"But I can help-" Rebecca began.

"I hear and obey, Sir Ceniro," Lowen replied, and left at a gallop.

"Good man," Ceniro panted, and circled around a tree to see where his pursuers were.

There were only two, and one of them was bleeding in the arm.

Ceniro smiled a little. "No Lyn to save my life this time, but if Eliwood's close…" He twirled his staff and waited for their attacks.

They were slow and fat. They weren't from around here; Lord Elbert, Eliwood's father, would have run them out in a week.

He dodged an attack from one and rapped the other in the ribs with his staff. He was sure he heard a gentle 'crack' that was from a breaking rib. To the bandit's credit, he didn't waste too much time hunching over in pain, and Ceniro took a step back to keep them both in view.

"Ceniro!" came a shout, and Ceniro spared a glance to see vaguely familiar red hair approaching.

"Little help?" he called, and the thunder of hoofbeats was his reply.

A heavily armoured knight in full career charged into both bandits from the side, decapitating both of them with skilful swings of his sword.

Ceniro gave in a little to the burn in his legs and bent over, breathing hard. "Eli- Lord Eliwood. Thanks. Is that General Marcus?"

"Indeed it is," Eliwood answered, as sweet-spoken as Ceniro remembered, despite the long rapier in his hand. "I remember you, weren't you at Lady Lyn's side last year, when she returned to Caelin?"

"Yep," Ceniro said, finally straightening up.

"My lord…" Rebecca spoke up, no longer riding Lowen's horse. "Can we please help my papa?"

"Yes, right away! Ceniro, you are a tactician, are you not?"

Ceniro fished out the farseer again. "You want my assistance?"

"Assistance with what?" General Marcus asked, riding up to stand intimidatingly close to Ceniro, who swallowed a little.

"I'm a tactician. Trained in Ostia under Lord Garlent. I can help strategize to defeat the bandits."

Marcus looked at the village. "They are dull and weak. No strategy is needed here. Besides, I am the General of Pherae."

"Marcus…" Eliwood said, raising a hand. "I think Ceniro can help us. I'll explain later, but for now, would you come with us?"

"I would be happy to. But Rebecca's right." Ceniro looked at Marcus, not wanting to step on obviously dignified toes.

"Then let us away! Lowen, with me!" Marcus spurred his horse and Lowen obediently followed him.

Eliwood trotted after the knights, Rebecca and Ceniro following him. "I'm sorry, he's just looking out for me. He didn't meet you last year, and with father's disappearance, he's been on edge. I'll talk to him."

"Thank you. I hope I get a chance to prove my worth. Wait, Lord Elbert disappeared?"

"You didn't know?"

"I, uh, was in Ilia."

"You walked from Ilia?"

Ceniro glanced at his farseer. "Sorry, we can become acquainted later. For now, we need to go around to the other gate, because the bandits are going to try to draw out Lowen."

They were nearly to the other gate, moving as quickly as they could without drawing attention to themselves, when two figures jumped out of the ditch beside the road. "Ceniro!" said one.

Rebecca screamed, and Ceniro clutched his chest, gasping. "Dorcas? Don't scare me like that! Can you help us? We're fighting these bandits."

"At once, sir. This is my friend Bartre."

"Hi!" said the other big man, flexing and making his muscles ripple under his blue tunic. "Saving the villages, huh? What a right lordly thing to do!"

"You talk too much," Dorcas said quietly. Bartre laughed.

"Nice to meet you. We need to get through this gate in time to save the yellow knight from getting ambushed. So you two, please take on the bandit you will find immediately inside and to your right. Rebecca, target the bandit on the other side of the square, and Eliwood…"

"I can fight," Eliwood assured him.

"Take on the one in the middle. I'll help."

Hoofbeats announced the arrival of the knights, having dealt with the bandits in the southern half of the village. "Go," Ceniro ordered, and they put the plan in motion.

The leader of the bandits happened to be the one Eliwood was facing. "What is this, a pack of children coming to play? You think you can challenge me?"

"Challenge you and kill you," Marcus boomed, and the bandit leader spun around. His eyes widened.

"Pheraen knights!? But that's impossible – they're all dea-" Eliwood sidestepped as Marcus lanced the bandit through the chest. He coughed blood as he fell to his knees. "And I thought my luck… was finally turning around…"

Marcus came to a halt in front of Eliwood. "I believe the bandits have been neutralized, my lord." He nodded to Dorcas and Bartre. "I took the liberty of hiring these men to supplement your escort."

"I know Sir Dorcas as well," Eliwood said, and as the lord and the knight talked, Ceniro checked his farseer to ensure the enemies were truly destroyed, and moved over to talk to Dorcas.

"Hello, Dorcas," Ceniro said. "How's Natalie?"

"She is doing well," Dorcas answered. "She is in Pherae Castle Town, and so was I until Bartre came to me with the offer from General Marcus." A slight smile crossed his face. "It seems my actions fighting bandits in Bern this winter caught some eyes."

"And a good job for you, too," Ceniro said.

"She is much less worried for my safety since I am with Lord Eliwood. You?"

"I travelled. Some more. A lot. I did a campaign in Etruria, went to Ilia to study pegasus wings…"

"Ceniro," Eliwood called, and Ceniro turned. "Like I was saying before, would you join us?"

"My lord," Marcus began.

"Marcus," Eliwood said, in almost the same tone, although the look on his face suggested it was an unconscious imitation and he was not mocking his knight. "You read the reports on Lady Lyn's successful deposition of Lord Lundgren last year. This is the man responsible for her success."

"Well, I wouldn't go that far," Ceniro said, smiling, "but I did have a hand in some of it. Although if you were listening to news from Etruria, that business with Lord Pent of Reglay and an attempted coup on King Mordred by… that other guy? I was involved in that, too."

Marcus frowned. "Still, you are young, and two campaigns is not much of a resume."

Ceniro shrugged. "I know. There's a number of factors…"

"Marcus. Please. Trust me. Let him direct us. He's supposedly a genius."

"Okay, who told you that?" Ceniro said.

"It's not an exaggeration," Dorcas said. "Ceniro, you're not supposed to sell yourself short when trying to get a job."

Ceniro blushed. "I, ah…"

"Marcus," Eliwood said again.

Marcus huffed. "So be it."

"Thank you," Eliwood said, all smiles.

There was a middle-aged man approaching, and Rebecca ran to him and embraced him. "Papa!"

"Rebecca! You are safe. Were you fighting? What has come over you, child?"

"I wanted to help save you, papa. Look! Lord Eliwood came to help us!"

"Yes, I wanted to thank you for coming to our aid, Lord Eliwood." The older man bowed.

"No thanks are necessary," Eliwood said. "It's a lord's duty to protect his people."

"Would that were true, my lord. The good people of Laus know no such protection. Lord Darin prepares for war and cares not for trifling complaints about bandits and brigands."

Eliwood frowned. "Wait, preparing for war?"

"I would not lie to you, my lord. My brother lived there until a few days ago, when his village was attacked by bandits. He has come to live with me."

"It's true," an even older man said, coming up behind him. "Laus could go to war any day now. With whom, I do not know. But it's all the people talk about."

"I'm surprised we have not heard of this yet," Marcus said in a low voice. "Who could he go to war with? The Lycian League, I thought, was past such squabbles. Lord Uther would not brook such insult to the peace."

"Perhaps he has something to do with Father," Eliwood said. "We should go to him."

"So few, against an army?" Marcus asked. "I doubt even a genius tactician could get us an audience in that situation."

"But I'm friends with Erik, and he has no quarrel with me…"

"My lord, you are too naive."

Eliwood smiled ruefully. "No, just thinking wishfully. I understand it will be dangerous. That's why none of you have to come if you don't want to."

"I will not leave your side, Lord Eliwood," Marcus said.

"Nor I," Lowen said, although his voice was not as confident as his general's.

"You paid us to come, so we're coming," Dorcas said.

"I'm not going anywhere that's, uh, not where you guys are going!" Bartre said.

"I'm coming," Rebecca said firmly.

"Rebecca…" Eliwood began. "Are you sure?"

She lifted her chin. "I'm sure, my lord. I know that I don't know anything about the world outside the village, and that my hunting skills are not up to military standards, but I'm still a pretty good shot, and I want to repay you for saving the village. I'm stronger than I look."

"But your father?"

"I just settled it with him."

"Did he know you were thinking of heading into a potential war zone?"

"Sort of?" She paused. "I'm still coming!"

"I'll keep you safe," Ceniro said. "Or at least, alive. I'm good at keeping people alive."

She grinned at him. "That's good!"

"Then you are also coming for sure, Ceniro?"

Ceniro nodded. "I am not doing anything else right now, and it's been a while since I was to Laus… I would like to help."

"Then that is decided," Eliwood said. "Sir, thank you for your kindness. If bandits threaten again, send word to Isadora at the castle. She is the highest-ranking knight there. She will bring out the troops to protect you."

"Thank you, my lord. Godspeed on your journey."

The party set out along the road north. They would have to pass through Santaruz and the southern part of Caelin to reach Laus; it would take them a few days. Ceniro decided to place his trust in Marcus having planned where they would stay the night and moved up beside Eliwood at the lord's inviting gesture.

"So, Ceniro, tell me about these Etrurian adventures you mentioned."

They barely knew each other. Ceniro was still a bit nervous about being surrounded by strangers, one of whom didn't even trust him, although one of the others was not a stranger – was Dorcas – so that more than made up for it. But Eliwood was so open and friendly, it felt like they had known each other for a long time already.

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Pairings: Eliwood/Ninian, Ceniro(tactician)/Lyn/Hector, Florina/Wil, Fiora/Kent, Farina/Dart, Sain/Salir(OC), Rebecca/Lowen, Pent/Louise, Heath/Priscilla, Matthew/Leila, Bartre/Karla, Nino/Jaffar, Isadora/Harken, Ephidel/Limstella


	2. Chapter 2: Birds of a Feather

Chapter 2: Birds of a Feather

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"Eliwood," Ceniro said hesitantly, early in the morning on the next day. "You were saying Lord Helman, Marquess Santaruz, is a good friend of your father's, right?"

"Yes, I've known him since I was a child. He's like an uncle to me."

"If we're worried about Laus's military, perhaps we could ask him to help provide us with an escort?"

"That's a good idea," Eliwood answered. "When my father left a month ago, he took twenty of the best knights of Pherae with him, and none returned. I left the rest at home to guard mother. I only really need Marcus and Lowen."

"I understand."

"Marcus?" Eliwood said. "Ceniro suggests we ask Lord Helman for an entourage."

Marcus glanced at the tactician, who looked at his boots. "Yes, that is a sound suggestion. I shall- Lord Eliwood." He stopped abruptly.

Ceniro and Eliwood looked up and saw another fat scarred man in the road, clad in ragged leather. He grinned, revealing crooked and missing teeth. "Alms for a poor villager, sire?"

"You look nothing like an honest man," Marcus bit out. "Stay back!"

"Good advice," the thug sneered, reaching out and catching an axe someone off the road threw to him. "Maybe you'd best be the ones following it."

"What do you mean?" Eliwood asked.

"I mean someone wants you in an early grave, lordling. A shame if you ask me, but you die here today." He waved to the forest surrounding the road. "Come on, boys, earn your keep!"

Ceniro looked around. "Twenty… thirty… this might be difficult."

"Lord Eliwood, there are too many for us," Marcus began.

"No, no, we can do this," Ceniro said, still in a wary stance, glancing from his farseer to the terrain. "We do have to get off the road before they charge us. Let's go to that hill, it's defensible."

"Lord Eliwood's safety is of the utmost importance," Marcus growled at the tactician, who flinched, but stood his ground.

"I agree, but we don't have to retreat, either."

"We will fight," Eliwood said, brushing past both of them, rapier in hand. "That hill, Ceniro?"

"If he is so much as scratched, it will be on your head," Marcus hissed at Ceniro, who flinched again and followed Eliwood as quickly as he could.

The bandits were still getting organized, but when they saw the group moving west to the hill, they let out a war-cry and charged at them.

"Quick!" Ceniro cried. "Look, ruins. Everyone get behind a wall. Rebecca, get as many as you can before they get here. Marcus, Lowen, ready your swords and counter-charge them on my signal. Rebecca, scratch what I said, target that one in the purple coat, try to split off the three to the right so the knights can take them."

"And us?" Bartre demanded, feeling the edge of his axe.

"Brace for impact," Ceniro told him, huddling against the wall and peering over it. "Where'd the leader go?"

The farseer said the leader was still a ways back, sending his men in groups of five or six. Typical bandit tactics when they were trying to be clever.

This group was a lot bigger and tougher than the one in Pherae had been. But he knew they could be defeated.

Rebecca's arrows were not killing a lot, but they were making the bandits shy away, splitting the group.

"Now!" Ceniro said. "Marcus, Lowen!" There were four bandits in that group instead of three, but Ceniro trusted that General Marcus could take care of them all the same.

The two knights burst out of cover and ran down a bandit, cutting down two more with their swords.

"Dorcas, Bartre, cover the gap," Ceniro commanded, and the two axemen moved into place.

The last bandit grabbed Lowen and dragged him from the saddle. The other charging ones were nearly at the wall.

"Rebecca, get back from the wall! Dorcas, assist Lowen!"

Eliwood stabbed a bandit in the face, his own face a taut mask of concentration. Lowen was struggling with his attacker; he was on the bottom, and not nearly as big as the other man, but he was certainly better trained – even if he was currently lashing out on terrified instinct. Dorcas came hurtling towards the two, dropped his axe, and dragged the bandit backwards off the knight, who grabbed his dagger and stabbed the bandit.

Marcus was wheeling around. Ceniro put the farseer away – he knew enough for the time being – and grabbed his staff, knocking a bandit on the head and felling him. The next wave was incoming. Lowen was back on his horse, good; Bartre roared and went off to join Dorcas, no longer within the cover of the ruined walls, but they didn't seem to be in trouble yet, their axes cleaving wide swaths through the air.

Eliwood was sweating. "There are so many…"

"It's fine," Ceniro said. "You're doing fine."

"So are you."

Ceniro ducked an axe, and Rebecca's arrow hit the bandit in the eye. "Good shot!"

The farseer chimed in his ear, a sign that potential allies had entered the area. Ceniro couldn't spare a glance for it at the moment. But soon enough he saw two tall figures appear out of the trees behind the bandits, one in orange armour armed with a spear, the other in blue armour with an axe.

"Who are they?" Ceniro murmured as the pair fell on the rear of the bandits. "They're helping us…?"

"Hector!" Eliwood shouted, his voice carrying across the battlefield.

"Eliwood!" the blue man shouted back. "The hell is going on?"

"Just stay alive!" Eliwood answered. "Ceniro, we have to help him. He's my friend."

Ceniro glanced around. "Actually, it seems more like he's saving us." He rapped out a few more orders, and the number of remaining bandits was halved in a couple of minutes.

Lord Hector of Ostia was still holding his own, his knight beside him; the bandit's attacks were either knocked aside or bounced off their very good armour.

"All right," Ceniro said. "Let's go!" He led Eliwood's group back down the hill, ducking bandit axes along the way.

Hector came to them halfway. "Eliwood, long time no see. What's up?"

"I could ask you the same thing," Eliwood said, grinning, and hugged him. "Where did you come from?"

"You wound me! My best friend goes on a quest and doesn't even invite me!" Hector pretended to pout, but the effect was ruined by his inherent manliness.

"But your brother was just named Marquess Ostia, surely-"

"-surely he doesn't need my help. In fact, I've been a pain in his ass all month. I think he's happy to see me off."

"Look out!" Ceniro shouted at them, and they turned as one and attacked the bandit who had been trying to sneak up on them. Hector cut off his arm with one swing, and Eliwood stabbed him in the chest.

"I think that was the leader," Ceniro said, peering at the farseer. Marcus nodded and went on a patrol around the group, looking for stragglers. "It doesn't look like there are any left. Although there are two people up the road, but they appear to be travellers."

"Oh, that would be Matthew and Serra," Hector said. "I told them to stay back. Really couldn't deal with Serra's whining while I fought."

"Matthew and Serra-?" Ceniro began, but Hector had already turned back to Eliwood.

"Eliwood, who's this?"

"This is Ceniro. He's a tactician by trade, and he's agreed to join me."

Ceniro tried to hold Hector's intense stare. "You're very young, Ceniro. We've tacticians in Ostia, but no professionals as young as you. Eliwood, you sure about this one?"

"I trust him," Eliwood said simply. "Anyway, he studied in Ostia, so you might know him."

"I studied under Lord Garlent, Lord Hector," Ceniro said. "And perhaps you heard about Lyn's arrival in Caelin last year, or Lord Pent's quest in Etruria."

"Something like that, yes," Hector said, with a look that suggested he knew more than he was letting on. "Well, if Eliwood says you're good, I'll trust you too." He shook Ceniro's hand.

There was a squeal, and Hector put his gloved palm to his head. "Oh gods no."

"Lord Hector, why didn't you tell us the fighting was over?" Serra demanded, like a small yappy pink dog. "I've been waiting and waiting! Omigosh, is that Ceniro? Ceniro! Oh my goooosh it's so good to see you again! Well now I know we're in good hands. And you won't leave my valuable assistance behind, isn't that right?"

"I'm sorry," Matthew said loudly from behind her. "I couldn't keep her back any longer."

"Are these your companions, Hector?" Eliwood said, with some confusion.

"Yep… One could have hoped for better, but… well, we all make do with what we're given…"

"Omigosh, that was so rude!" Serra said. "Matthew, did you hear what he said about you?"

"Me? He was talking about you, you bloody-"

"The noisy pink one is Serra, obviously. Shockingly, she's also a cleric. This fellow here is Matthew. He's light on his feet and good with a blade, among other things. And you know Oswin, of course." The knight in the orange armour bowed, and Eliwood nodded.

"And so… why are you really here, Hector? It's a long way from Ostia."

Hector's expression turned grim. "This journey… I suspect it will be harder than you imagine… You need good friends at your side."

Eliwood frowned. "What is it, Hector? Do you know something?"

Hector shook his head. "Nothing specific. Rumours abound, though. It seems pretty certain that an assassin's guild from Bern has been moving throughout Lycia, and experienced mercenaries have been vanishing."

"Vanishing? Not just being recruited into Marquess Laus's army?"

"So you heard about that?"

"Only vaguely, and recently. What's happening? And why do you think this bandit said someone wanted me dead?"

"I don't know. But when I arrived, there was a soldier of Santaruz – just watching. I think he was planning to watch you die."

"And so you…"

"I killed him," Hector said simply.

"So rude!" Serra scolded him, and Hector scowled.

"But Santaruz…" Eliwood began.

"May not be as neutral as you would like to think," Hector told him. "Were you planning to visit the Marquess?"

"Yes, of course. But doubly so, now. Do you think it is wise, Ceniro?"

Ceniro blinked at being called on. "Yes. You need answers. That soldier may have been corrupt. But if not, if Santaruz _is_ hostile… I think we can still get in to the castle."

Hector whistled. "You're crazy. I like you. Do you even know Santaruz Castle's defenses?"

Ceniro nodded. "I'm from Santaruz. I grew up a few miles north-west of here."

"That so? Well, what are we waiting for, then? We can make it before night-fall."

"Marcus?" Eliwood called. "We're moving on now."

"Very good, my lord."

Matthew sidled up to Ceniro as they began walking, and Serra glomped Dorcas. "Dorcas! How lovely to see you again! Did you miss me? I know you missed me."

"Hey, Ceniro," was all Matthew said.

"Hello, yourself," Ceniro said. "How long have you been in Lord Hector's employ?"

"Ehhhhh…" Matthew hedged, and Ceniro tilted his head. "A long time. I was kind of… being a spy on Ostia's behalf last summer."

"Really?"

"You mad?"

"No, just understanding why you were so insistent that we hire you. I'm not mad. Just wondering… if we can still be friends?"

"Hey, that's my line," Matthew said, smiling. "And sure. You know me, my secret's out… I don't have… uh… much more to hide from you. So yes. Let's be friends. You can't trust me beyond the fact that I'll follow your orders unquestioningly, but if that doesn't bother you?"

"No, not really. I'm glad to see you and Serra again. It's a small world, isn't it?"

"Sure is. Hey, we're falling behind, and we don't want to walk into another trap do we?"

"M-matthew! Wait up!"


	3. Chapter 3: In Search of Truth

Chapter 3: In Search of Truth

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Five hours later, they had travelled far north into Santaruz. The castle was about due west of them, and Eliwood called a halt for food. There was an inn by the road, as was normal everywhere in the heart of the cantons, and they went there.

"Mr. Ceniro, you said you grew up somewhere around here?" Rebecca asked.

"Yes, my parents and siblings live a couple hours south. We didn't pass especially close to the town, so I didn't think it necessary to mention again." He added that she didn't have to call him mister, and she nodded.

"What's your family like?"

"I have an older sister and a younger brother. He wants to be a knight; he's probably in Santaruz's employ now. Anlie, though, she's always been very kind to me. If she's not married, she's probably still at home. My father's a… well, he's a carpenter."

"No need to be embarrassed about that," she said, smiling at him with her huge green eyes.

"Oh, well, in my line of work, most tacticians are nobles. I was the token peasant boy at the Academy…"

"Did they pick on you?" she demanded.

"A bit."

"Hmph! Well, good thing Lord Eliwood is a good lord. He won't think any less of you just because you weren't born rich."

"I'm glad. I met him briefly last year, and he seemed like a very kind person. But that wasn't the only reason they picked on me; it's also because when I'm in combat, I can be completely, insufferably rude."

"What? I don't understand."

Ceniro smiled ruefully. "I get caught up in everything, and I forget to refer to all those of higher rank by their honorifics. Which, in my case, is everyone. Which is partly why I've only had two jobs, in addition to being poor and young."

"But Lord Eliwood doesn't seem to mind?"

"I don't," Eliwood said, who had not been eavesdropping, not really, but who came to join their table. "It's kind of nice when people aren't afraid of me."

"It's not that I'm not afraid of you," Ceniro said. "But I am worried that you might think I don't respect you."

"Respect what? My heritage as my father's son? Although I am a lord, I'm a man just like you, and the only difference is that I have different responsibilities to shoulder."

"Yeah, what he said," Hector joined in. "A lot of people don't respect me, 'cause I don't respect them." He snorted. "I couldn't care less, honestly."

"I respect everyone," Ceniro said. "I just… am not always polite about it. And I don't mean to be impolite, I just, uh, forget. And I feel bad about it-"

"Don't feel bad," Hector told him. "If you're comfortable calling lords by their right names to their faces, good on you! I like that. In fact, if you don't do that, I'll knock you down whenever you try to pull any honorific crap on me."

"I wouldn't go that far," Eliwood said. "But you talk to us however you like. We're in your hands."

"Thanks," Ceniro said, blushing, and wishing he could pull up his hood and hide. They weren't mad, he reminded himself. They were even… pleased. But it was still embarrassing. And the knights, raised to be so proper, especially General Marcus, wouldn't like it.

Rebecca went back to an earlier topic. "You said you didn't know if your sister was married. Why not?"

"I'm always travelling. I don't have much contact with my family."

"It's hard to send you mail, huh?"

"Very much so."

"Perhaps when we return this way, we can visit your family."

"Perhaps."

Rebecca looked at him oddly, but didn't comment. Eliwood and Hector were no longer paying attention, instead discussing sparring techniques.

.

They still had another hour before they reached the castle, and although it would be some time yet before sundown – summer was great for travelling – Eliwood clearly wanted to get there as soon as possible.

They had just struck out on the road to the castle when an armoured man stepped into their path. "Lord Eliwood! You will come no further!"

"I must speak with Lord Helman," Eliwood said, his hand moving to his rapier – the soldier looked far too hostile.

"Who are you?" Marcus demanded. "You don't look like one of Marquess Santaruz's men."

"Who am I? You should worry about your own selves, lordlings. You'll be worm food soon enough!"

"I think my axe will change your mind about that?" Hector growled, unhooking it from his back and letting it thud into the ground in front of him.

"The cub thinks he's a wolf, huh?" sneered the man. "Does your bite match your bark? We'll find out if you make it to the castle!" He waved, and between them and the distant white castle, figures sprang from hiding, dotting the landscape.

"Miss Rebecca," Eliwood said. "Please send this fellow a message with your bow."

Rebecca sent an arrow past the messenger's ear.

"We're not messing around," Hector said. "And we have like three military geniuses here, so you lot might as well clear out."

"Three? Against our might?"

"I was giving you fair warning," Hector said, and shrugged. "What's up, Ceniro?"

"Do you think they'll threaten the villages?" Ceniro asked.

"Probably not," Marcus said. "However, bandits could take advantage of the confusion. It would be wise to warn them to close their gates until the furor dies down."

"Thank you," Ceniro said, pleased that Marcus didn't seem to be glaring at him as much as before. "In that case, Lowen, you're going to be point. Take Matthew; the two of you can travel light and fast and possibly unseen."

"Or at least we could, if he didn't have bright green hair and yellow armour," Matthew muttered, but only Ceniro and Hector caught his words. The thief swung up onto Lowen's horse, and Ceniro pointed out their targets.

"We'll have to fight our way across the river, and there's only one bridge." Ceniro chewed his lower lip for a moment, then pointed. "Marcus, Oswin, take the right. Your armour will shield us from the arrows they're sure to send against us. Dorcas, Bartre, on the left; the hills might hide bandits."

"Do you always explain all your tactics?" Hector asked.

"He does," Serra said. "He likes to know we know why we're doing what we're doing, so we can do it better!"

"Yes," Ceniro said. "Serra, you stay with me."

"Oh thank goodness," Hector mumbled.

"Rebecca, you go behind Oswin. Try to get off a few shots. Hector, Eliwood… you're in the middle. Now we're ready."

He looked to Eliwood, who nodded and began to jog forward, in the direction of the bridge, trusting in his soldiers to shield him from hidden attack.

Matthew popped up in front of Ceniro, seemingly out of nowhere, and passed him a strange lumpy object. "I'm told it's called a 'mine'. And that it explodes. You can hang on to it, I don't need explosions."

"According to all the spy penny-serials I've read – which are admittedly few – you are incorrect," Ceniro said. "But I'll hang on to it."

"Also, we have a new ally. Guy! …Guy?"

A young man climbed out of the bushes behind Matthew. "I'm here. Why did you insist on dragging me through all that…"

"Ignore his complaining," Matthew said. "He's here because he owes me his life."

"I don't understand."

Matthew rolled his eyes. "Let's try that again. He was hired by these villains to fight, but I convinced him to join us. Sacaeans, you know. Great sense of honour."

"I know," Ceniro said. "Ah, battle's joined. You'll be needed up front. Guy, your name is?"

"Yeah," the young man said sullenly.

"I'm sorry everything's confused right now. Thank you for joining us. Please go fight with Dorcas and Bartre over there, and we'll sort you out later."

The weather was so fair, the sun shining down on the little groups battling each other. It was so strange to think that conflict could rise so easily in such a beautiful land. And for better or worse, it was his homeland.

He gave orders, and foot by foot, they fought their way across the bridge and to the foot of the castle, staying out of arrowshot. It was actually a lot faster than foot by foot once they crossed the bridge; Ceniro finally had room to execute some manoeuvres, though on a miniature, single-soldier, personal scale – the scale he liked best. Battle for him was not the grand clash of armies – although the adventure with Lord Pent had proved he was capable of that as well – but the chess-like strategic placement of individual fighters.

Eliwood and Hector fought well together – although Hector was far more enthusiastic than refined, and Eliwood had far more finesse than strength. But Ceniro, although he wasn't himself a fighter, could see their potential. If this journey went on for any length of time, they'd both become far more accomplished than they already were.

At least they were nobles he wasn't afraid to put in the line of fire. That said something for the training they'd already taken. And with Marcus training Eliwood, and Oswin training Hector, their continuing education was in safe hands, too.

The apparent leader of the enemy forces was a balding, green-haired man in heavy armour.

"Well, we're here!" Hector said. "Your goon back there thought we wouldn't make it. I think he's dead."

"He's dead," Ceniro confirmed.

"Ah, but I'm quite a bit tougher than those cheap sell-swords you've been facing. I can take down any three of you together!"

"So… we should send four of us at you," Hector said, smirking.

"Where is Marquess Santaruz?" Eliwood demanded.

"I imagine by this point he's on his way to a better place!" The man laughed, and spat in the dirt. "He's a fool, you're fools…"

"And what makes you say that?" Eliwood said.

"You're on a fool's errand! You may be strong enough to get here, but you won't win. Not in the end!"

"He doesn't know what he's talking about," Hector said in disgust. "Can I kill him?"

Ceniro jerked his hand, and their new recruit, the swordsman Guy, leapt up and took the villanous knight's head off faster than anyone could blink.

"Sorry, I thought he would be more effective," Ceniro apologized. He turned to the farseer, trying to find out if they could approach the castle safely.

Hector shrugged. "Who is this guy, anyway?"

"My name is Guy," Guy said defiantly.

"From Sacae?" Eliwood asked.

"That's right."

"It's all right," Ceniro said. "None of us are… prejudiced. I don't think."

"Is that why he's being bitchy?" Matthew asked. "He thinks we're going to be racist?"

"Lycians are always racist," Guy muttered. "And if you're gonna kill me now, you have to talk to that bastard over there." He pointed at Matthew.

"Ooh, I think that was racist," Matthew taunted him. "Are you a racist, Guy? What are you even doing in Lycia?"

"…No work in Sacae."

"Sir Guy," Eliwood said, ending the argument between the two young men, "my name is Eliwood of Pherae. I don't know what your situation is. But if you are looking for work, we can pay you to travel with us and assist in our battles. You are obviously very skilled."

"Like, Lord Eliwood? Son of the Marquess?"

Eliwood nodded.

"All right," Guy said. "I'll come with you. I have to work off my life-debt, anyway."

"Matthew, what did you do?" Hector asked.

"I didn't do anything!"

"Is that so?"

"Why are you guys just standing around?" Serra demanded, turning away from the conversation she'd been having with Rebecca at a distance. "Men! All they wanna do is fight or talk."

"Yes," Eliwood said. "Ceniro, does the castle look hostile?"

"No, actually," Ceniro said, which was what he had been waiting for. "The farseer just finished looking. I think the enemy were all deployed in the field against us. I think we should still go carefully; I don't like what that man said. But quickly."

"I hope Lord Helman is all right," Eliwood said, and walked swiftly towards the gate.

They were met by a frantic steward in the main hall. "My lords! Lord Eliwood, Lord Hector! Come quickly! Lord Helman… it's dreadful!"

They followed him at a run to an upper office, where an old man lay sprawled on the floor in a pool of blood. People were gathered around him, guards and healers. One look proved that the lord was too far gone to be healed. The blood was from a stab wound in his chest.

Eliwood knelt beside the old man. "Lord Helman!"

Lord Helman coughed and opened his eyes slowly. "Is that you… Eliwood?"

"Yes, my lord. Who did this to you?"

"I'm so sorry… Eliwood. It's… all my fault…"

"I don't understand."

"If I hadn't told Elbert… about Darin's plans…" He coughed again, and blood was in it.

"Hold on, sir!"

"You… must go to Darin… make him tell you… everything… then… you can save… your father…"

"Lord Helman…"

"Beware… the Black… Fang…"

His body jerked once, and was still.

Eliwood was also very still.

Hector stepped up beside him and offered a hand. Eliwood took it and stood up firmly, his lips pressed into a grim line. "What could have caused this? Who would murder him? Who _could_ murder him?"

"Blast it all," Hector agreed, looking down at the body. "I don't know what he was mixed up in, but he didn't deserve this. He was a good man."

"Probably why he told my father whatever he knew, so my father could help stop it. We must go to Laus and get the truth from Lord Darin."

"You're right," Hector said. "We should leave quickly. I'm not sure how far we can get with what's left of today, but I certainly can't sit still now."

Eliwood glanced at the others, hovering in the door and the wide corridor outside. "We've fought two battles today. You may not be tired, but the others are. We'll set out at first light."

"Fine."

The steward looked to the two lords beseechingly. "With our Marquess gone, what are we to do?"

"First, give him a proper burial. After that, the Lycian Council will certainly have to meet. Defend the castle until you hear from my brother," Hector said.

"I understand and obey," the steward said, bowing. "I will prepare rooms for your party for tonight."

"And now we seek answers for Marquess Santaruz too," Hector said as they left the room following the steward. "See, this is already turning out to be far more serious than I thought."

"Hector… you're not telling me something."

"You're right. Later. Just you and me. And Oswin, Matthew, Marcus, and that tactician of yours. Ceniro. But for now… we'll honour Lord Helman."

"Lord Helman…" Eliwood murmured. "May you find peace."

The six men met in Hector's room later in the evening, after the sun had set. Hector closed the windows and the curtains.

"You're acting a bit paranoid," Eliwood commented. "It's making me jittery."

"Well," Hector said, "you won't blame me after you hear what happened in Ostia just as I was setting out to join you. Matthew was there; he'll help explain the parts I can't."

"I'm sure you can explain it just fine, young master," Matthew said drily.

"I was telling Uther… uh, I was yelling at Uther… for about the third time-"

"-that week," put in Matthew. "Which at that point was three days long."

Hector glared but continued. "-about how your father was missing, we needed to help, what good was being Marquess of Ostia if we couldn't keep other Marquesses from disappearing into thin air, and, uh, what good was being Marquess of Ostia if we couldn't brow-beat obviously-shifty Marquesses like Lord Darin into telling us what they knew about your father's disappearance."

"It was quite the row," Matthew said. "Still, I did as he bid and brought him supplies and his axe, and arranged for his departure."

"And he packed enough for Serra and Oswin as well, _as if he knew they were coming_ …"

"I'm not sure why he trusted me to do that, seeing as he apparently trusts me much less far than he can throw me…"

"Well, I sure didn't after you gave up bugging me to let you come way too easily… but then I saw someone skulking in the shadows of the – you know the hall on the ground floor of the residential wing? The one with all the pillars?" Eliwood nodded. "There was someone there. I knocked him down, and he wouldn't tell me anything, so I, uh, I killed him."

"Such forward thinking," Matthew said. "Of course, then you tried to kill me, as well."

"Yeah, that was fun." Hector grinned. "How did you put it? You said something witty."

"You said 'I thought you were one of them!' and I said 'Well, I'm not! I'm one of me! And I'd like to stay only one of me!'" Hector and Matthew laughed, and Eliwood joined in. Marcus and Oswin looked pained, and Ceniro knew he looked both confused and amused.

"Why did you come back?" Marcus asked Matthew.

"Because those assassins were good at sneaking, though they were second-rate at fighting, so I knew they wouldn't show themselves until Lord Hector was alone," Matthew answered.

Hector nodded. "Once they revealed themselves, I made Matthew carry the bags while I cut down all the intruders in my path. He had tricked the guards into leaving the back gate unguarded so I could slip out unnoticed…"

"Although it wasn't that effective," Oswin remarked. "Everyone could hear you shouting."

Hector glared. "If that's the case, then why weren't you there sooner?"

"Lord Uther required my presence."

"Uther was in on the whole thing, wasn't he?"

Oswin shrugged eloquently and made no answer.

"That's why Matthew packed for four! …Anyway, they were pretty pathetic. There was a moment where I thought I lost Matthew, but fortunately he was still in one piece, and I swore him into my service instead of my brother's, and then we hauled ass onto the highway. Unfortunately, Oswin and Serra caught us a short ways out of town. Obviously sent to babysit me, by my brother." He glared again at Oswin. And sighed. "At least he's letting me do my thing."

"Well, it is certainly a comfort to have their skills," Eliwood said. "I wasn't expecting there to be so much fighting, and both the extra strength and the healing abilities will make things much easier."

"Vulneraries can only do so much," Oswin agreed. "And Lord Uther knows how headstrong Lord Hector can be." Hector rolled his eyes.

"So who sent the assassins?" Eliwood asked. "That seems to be the important point."

"I don't know," Hector said. "But the last one I cut down muttered a name as he fell. Nergal, or something like that. I don't know if he's connected to this Black Fang, or to your father, but I have a sneaking suspicion he might be."

"So if we encounter anyone named Nergal… they will probably be trying to kill us," Ceniro guessed.

"You said there were rumours of an assassin's guild from Bern infiltrating Lycia," Marcus said. "Could that be the Black Fang? Could it be the Black Fang was targeting you?"

"It's plausible," said Matthew. "As the resident espionage expert, I would theorize that the Black Fang is behind Lord Elbert's disappearance. Why, I'm not yet sure; to keep him from interfering with their plans, which we don't know what they are yet. Obviously, they want him to remain hidden, so they have set up obstacles for Lord Eliwood. And Lord Hector's… impetuous loyalty to his friends is well known, so they attempted to assassinate him before he could join the hunt. This Nergal is probably the leader, although last I heard, the leader was a man named Reed. Additionally, the Black Fang has a reputation for deposing irresponsible or cruel lords, of which Lord Elbert is neither."

"Well, that doesn't add up," Ceniro said.

"My information is probably outdated," Matthew said. "It's quite normal. Perhaps Nergal took over from Reed and is taking the group in a more sinister direction."

"Hang on," Eliwood said. "Remember last summer, when I ran into your group? There were assassins chasing those children as well. Marcus and Harken and I saved the girl from them. Do you think they're related, too?"

Matthew spread his hands. "Anything is possible at this point. I was there, and I can say they definitely looked similar, but I wouldn't say for certain they were the same group."

"Well, that's in the past. We need to worry about the present," Marcus said. "We should move quickly to Laus on the morrow. I do not think we can stand against an army, but perhaps we shall not have to."

"What do you mean?" Eliwood asked.

"As of yet, I mean nothing," Marcus said. "I must admit I am not at all comfortable with your course of action, Lord Eliwood, for they seem to lead to certain destruction, and yet I can see no other way to go that will serve your needs."

Eliwood smiled at his knight. "Thanks for understanding, Marcus."

"And this is obviously big," Hector said. "It's a conspiracy spanning Lycia, if not Lycia and Bern. If we're the only ones on to it, it's our job to find out as much as we can and stop it."

"Well said, Master," Matthew said. "Now, how about some rest before we try stopping anything?"

"Do you think it's safe here?" Eliwood asked uncomfortably. "Your tales of skulking assassins has somewhat unnerved me."

"Sorry," Hector said, and grinned. "It's the atmosphere, isn't it?" He gestured to the darkened, candle-lit room.

"I think it's safe," Matthew said. "I took the liberty of scouting out the castle before supper and there did not seem to be anyone around who shouldn't be. You should be safe to sleep in your own bed, tonight."

"Thank you," Eliwood said. "Now that you mention it, I am really tired. I shall go to bed. Good night, all of you."

"And you," Hector said, waving idly.

.

Author's note: I've received two very supportive reviews on the other Ceniro stories; thank you, whoever you are! I'm very glad you're enjoying his adventures, and that you like my writing. I certainly do have nostalgia for FE7; it was my first Fire Emblem game and it's still my absolute favourite.


	4. Chapter 4: False Friends

Chapter 4: False Friends

.

Ceniro was passing through the halls of Santaruz Castle, on his way to the courtyard to meet the rest of his group, averting his eyes from all the strange people around him, when he heard a cough.

"Ceniro."

He turned and looked around in confusion, but only saw a guard in Santaruz colours. He blinked at him, and then his eyes widened in realization.

"Drew!" He trotted over to his younger brother with a little smile on his face. "How are you? You're in training now, just like you always wanted?"

"More or less," Drew grunted. "What are you doing here? With those lords and knights and chicks?"

"Um, we're on a mission to find Lord Elbert. How is Anlie? What about father?"

"They're fine. They're all fine. Why didn't you visit, if you're in Santaruz?"

"I…'ve been busy. And I'm sure mom doesn't want to see me again anyway. Drew, I'm so glad you were in here yesterday, and not out fighting us…"

"What happened yesterday? Was that to do with all those assholes who were stationed here for a while?"

Drew really was unobservant, Ceniro reminded himself. "Something like that. We're not really sure what's going on. But we're going to find out. …Do you want to come with us? Lord Eliwood would be happy to have you…"

"What, leave Santaruz?" Drew said, outraged. "You know how mad mom was that you left. Why would I want to leave Santaruz?"

Ceniro shrugged. "Adventure? Combat? The chance to be a knight?"

"I can find that inside Santaruz, thank you very much."

"Well, just asking. Do you still hate me that much?"

"I don't hate you, it's just you're an idiot, a selfish jerk who doesn't know when to leave well enough alone. Who do you think you are, hobnobbing with great lords and ladies? You're a village brat like me. You went to Ostia for what, brain surgery? What good is that? You can't even fight, you're never going to be rich, and so why don't you learn a real trade and stay where you belong?"

"You sound like mom."

"Well, yeah, she's right. You're going to come to a bad end with these delusional lords, and I'm gonna tell you 'I told you so' when you do."

Ceniro grimaced. "Drew…"

"Is this guy giving you a hard time?" Rebecca asked. She glared at Drew. "You can't say anything! You don't know how smart he is or how much we owe him!"

"Is that your girlfriend?" Drew sneered.

"No," Ceniro said.

"No, I'm fifteen! I'm too young to be a girlfriend!" Rebecca snapped.

"Wait, you're only fifteen?" Ceniro said. "I thought you were older than that!"

"Well, you can't send me back home now!"

"Are you sure she's not your girlfriend? Do you even have a girlfriend?" Drew persisted.

"N-no…"

"Liar! Who is it? Is she hot?"

"Yes, she's hot, but she's not my girlfriend. Drew, leave me alone."

"You're the one who started talking to me."

"You have a girlfriend?" Rebecca asked.

"No! I just like her-"

"What does she look like? What's her name, what does she do?"

Ceniro pulled his hood up. "Guys. Stop. Please."

Drew shut his mouth. "I'm not going with you. Good luck, I guess. See you when you get back."

"Would you say hi to Anlie, next time you're home?"

"I'll try."

"Thanks, Drew." Ceniro turned away, hesitated, and looked back. "It was good to see you, Drew, even if you haven't changed."

"He was a jerk," Rebecca fumed as she stomped just ahead of him to the courtyard. "Why were you even talking to that self-inflated guard?"

"He's my brother."

"Your brother? Wow, I'm really sorry. My brother's a jerk too, but not because he's rude and judgemental, just because he hasn't come home in 5 years!"

"Oh," Ceniro said. "I'm sorry. I'm probably a jerk in that way to my family, too…"

"But at least they know you're alive, right?" Rebecca said. "I don't even know if Dan is alive, let alone where he is!"

"Well, we're travelling, so maybe we'll run into him, right?"

"Yeah… but I'm not going with you because of that. Sort of, but not really."

"Well, I'm glad you're with us. Archers are very helpful."

She smiled brightly as they came into the courtyard, where most of the others were waiting. Lowen came out last, laden with bags that Ceniro guessed carried food – he had noticed Lowen and Rebecca did the cooking when they camped instead of staying in an inn.

.

It took them another two days to reach the outskirts of Laus. The first night, they rescued a merchant from a group of bandits, and the merchant, Merlinus, was so grateful he offered his services to their group. It was Hector, of all people, who invited Merlinus to join them, despite the man's apparent subservient and cowardly nature.

Fortunately for their travels, Laus Castle was not far from the Caelin border. They paused for lunch on the other side of the plain that separated them from the castle. Ahead were a scattering of villages and a river flowing into the blue Aigaion Ocean. It would have been vastly idyllic if not for the fact that on the green plain were also signs of an army – training targets, dead campfires, wooden fortifications.

Eliwood was not eating, instead gazing at the distant castle with a melancholy look on his face. Ceniro sat near him, in case he was needed. Marcus was on patrol with Dorcas.

"They really are preparing for war, aren't they," Hector commented, coming up behind him. "What's Marquess Laus scheming at?" He offered him a chunk of bread. Eliwood took it without really seeing it and nodded. "What's up? You don't look like you much want to go to the castle."

"If we go and learn the truth, we may have to go to war," Eliwood said quietly.

"Fine with me," Hector said amiably with his mouth full.

Eliwood finally took a bite. A small bite. "If I concentrate on my opponent, I'm fine. But to think of all-out war… of the thousands of innocents who will be driven from their homes, injured, killed… I can't bear it. They can't be caught up in the foolish politics of us nobles. All I can do is pray and work for a peaceful solution."

"Eliwood… he's obviously planning to go to war whether we go to the castle and find out why or not." Hector clapped him gently on the shoulder. "Hey, chin up, all right? It's not like you to waver in anything you do."

Eliwood smiled ruefully. "I suppose so. I've come this far to find my father. I can't turn back now."

Marcus rode up to him. "Lord Eliwood! A lone horseman has ridden out from the castle. I believe it's Lord Erik."

"Oh, why did it have to be that buffoon?" Hector huffed and stuffed the rest of the bread in his mouth. "Eliwood, I'm going for a ride. I can't stand that moron. Marcus, can I borrow your horse for five minutes?"

"I'll meet with Erik, if he's coming here," Eliwood said. "Let him come."

Hector rode off as Marcus and Eliwood waited under the tree for Erik to approach. Ceniro wondered if he should leave. It didn't sound like Hector liked Erik very much, and while Ceniro wasn't sure Hector was the best judge of character, Ceniro hadn't heard good things about Erik while he was studying in Ostia, either.

"Hello!" Erik said as he rode up to them and dismounted, a disconcertingly friendly smile on his face. Eliwood smiled back reflexively, but it faded quickly. "It's been a long time, Eliwood! How have you been?"

"I was about to ask you that," Eliwood said. "Erik, why did you come to meet us?"

"I just heard my old friend was in Laus, and thought, why not? What brings you here? You're probably on your way to Ostia, aren't you."

"Why would you think that?"

"Why, you're such good friend with Hector." Erik grimaced. "I'll admit, he and I… never got along very well. Such crude behaviour, and his speech… you would almost think him a peasant. But you're still friends with him, right? When did you see him last? Do you communicate often?"

Eliwood took a step back from the casually-but-not asked questions. "Erik, what are you doing?"

Erik's false smile wavered. "What?"

Eliwood gestured to the field. "What is all that? You and your father are preparing for war, aren't you? Against whom?"

Erik shifted his weight back onto one foot and crossed his arms. "I was hoping you'd at least tell me if you'd spoken to Ostia. Well, no matter."

"Out with it, Erik!"

"I've always despised you, Eliwood," Erik said, and chuckled unkindly as he straightened, hand on his sword. "I've longed for this day, the day where I get to smash you and your pathetic morality into pieces!" Marcus's hand went to his own sword, but they were distracted by an approaching horse.

"Too bad you'll not live to see the end of it," Hector said, riding up to them and dismounting.

Erik did a double-take and scrambled onto his own horse. "H-hector! You haven't spoken with Ostia already, have you?"

"Wow, you're paranoid," Hector said, and sneered sarcastically. "Maybe we have, maybe we haven't. Eliwood, we're being surrounded by hidden troops. They didn't follow me back, but they definitely attacked me. We're going to have a rough time getting to the castle."

Ceniro jumped up.

"There's no point in fighting!" Erik yelled as he rode away. "You're trapped! My forces will overwhelm you, an unending torrent of soldiers! Laus's elite knights are at the ready as well. Heh heh… How long do you think you can survive?"

"How dare he?" Eliwood cried.

Hector just nodded to Ceniro. "You're up, tactics-man."

"On it," Ceniro said, already looking at the farseer. "Wait a minute. What is Erk doing here?"

"Who?"

"A mage I know. He's in that village to the north. One minute while I call everyone to arms and form us up."

There was a small army, certainly not the complete might of Laus but still enough to wipe them out if they weren't careful, between them and the castle. Ceniro called and pointed, and Eliwood's companions jumped up, leaving their camp in disarray to grab their weapons and take places.

Once he had everyone moving in the right direction, Ceniro manipulated the farseer a bit. "Erk?"

A short yelp and some muttered curse words were his answer. "Ceniro?" Erk said at length. "Are you nearby on the farseer?"

"Yes. Are you in the village to the north?"

"I'm going to guess you're with the miniature army I am seeing now, to the south?"

"I'm with Lord Eliwood and Lord Hector. We're… uh… trying to get an audience with Lord Darin. It's not going too well; Lord Erik is trying to kill us."

"That's the most times I've heard you say 'lord' in one paragraph."

"I know. I'm trying to be more polite these days. Do you want to join us? Some old friends are here, Serra, Dorcas, Matthew…"

"Serra? The last person I wanted to see again…"

"She'd probably interpret that as you wanting to see her again."

"Ceniro, I look like a moron, talking to thin air. One moment." There was the sound of footsteps, and then Erk spoke again, more quietly. "I would help you, but right now I can't. I'm trying to find a way for my employer to escape Laus herself."

"We can help you do that."

"It's Priscilla. You remember her, right? Lord Pent has gone off on a sabbatical, and left me to escort her in her search for her family."

"We'd love to help you. Come join us. Where is she?"

"She's in that village south of you. Lord Darin wants her, as his guest, by which he means prisoner." Disgust seeped through Erk's voice. "We've been hiding here for two weeks, unable to move."

"You're doing well, so close to the castle. All right. Get out here. I'll send Matthew to retrieve you, and Marcus to retrieve Priscilla. Sound good?"

"Sounds great. I'll turn your enemies to ash. See you soon."

"Matthew," Ceniro said into the farseer as he ran forward to join Eliwood again. "Go warn the northern village to close their gates, and pick up Erk. He's waiting there. Marcus, please go south to the other village and inform a young red-haired woman that we are here to escort her and Erk out of Laus."

Whatever the others were going to say was drowned out by Serra's squeal. "Omigosh! Erk's here? What a fortuitous happenstance!"

"Shut it, Serra!" Hector barked. "My ears are still ringing!"

"Serra, you can see Erk later," Ceniro said.

"Or not at all," muttered Erk, who had joined the main communication channel.

"Focus," Ceniro reprimanded them. "Erk, please join Rebecca and concentrate fire on those armour knights while she deals with the cavaliers."

"There's Erik!" Hector cried. "Can I go get 'im? Please?"

"One minute, he's heavily supported. We need to isolate him a bit. Bartre, I need you to take those footsoldiers on a chase back to Dorcas."

"Understood, big guy!"

Ceniro wrinkled his forehead. Bartre was weird.

Priscilla and Serra greeted each other, Priscilla with polite indifference, and Serra with suspicion. As soon as there was a lull in the fighting, both made their way over to Erk, unordered. Priscilla, on horseback, got there first. Ceniro muted them from the main channel and kept it on low in case he needed to intervene.

Erik was looking around somewhat frantically for reinforcements when Hector stomped up to him. "Going somewhere?"

"Laus is the true throne of Lycia! You will see!"

"Someone's a bit lost in their fantasies," Hector said slowly.

"I won't lose to you! Not here! This isn't the training ground; this is the field of true battle, where I will finally crush you!"

"Oh, please." Hector twirled his axe. "I won't even kill you. Yet."

"Eliwood, you also know how this guy fights; you're backup," Ceniro said, staying slightly back from the duel now taking place on the plain before the castle

The castle. Ceniro frowned at it. He wasn't reading any hostiles from it.

But first they had to deal with Erik.

Who was charging at Eliwood, having successfully dodged Hector's terrifyingly strong blow.

"If I can't get Hector, I can at least get you!"

Ceniro didn't even have to say anything; Marcus charged past both of them and knocked Erik from his horse with a well-placed blow of his lance, as in a joust. Erik scrambled to his feet and drew his sword, and was knocked down by Hector. The two men scuffled viciously for a moment, before it was resolved with Erik on his knees and Hector holding his arms behind his back.

"I am no one's prisoner! Unhand me!" Erik bellowed, still trying to twist away. "You peasants! You can't treat me like this!"

"Shut up, Erik," Hector said. "Be thankful you're still breathing, you wuss!"

Eliwood walked slowly to stand in front of Erik. "Where is your father? Why did he not send you reinforcements? What are you planning?"

For a moment, Erik's face fell slack, revealing hidden horror and shock. Then his normal haughty glare slammed back into place. "I'll never tell!"

"Fine," Eliwood said. "Ceniro?"

"It's very strange, but the castle does not appear hostile," Ceniro said. "We didn't face nearly as many enemies as Erik said we would – and this would only be a fraction of Laus's army, unless I'm much mistaken."

"Can we enter the castle, do you think?"

Ceniro looked at it. "Let's send Marcus and Oswin to do a sweep, draw them out. If they don't get shot at…"

The two knights were already heading out. Nothing happened.

"All right, let's move in!" Ceniro said. "Matthew, tie him up."

"Just get his hands," Hector said. "I'll drag him."

"Fair enough," Ceniro said.

.

They secured the castle within the hour, and met again in the main hall. The younger knights were sent on patrol duty around the walls.

"Well, your dad's not here," Hector said. "In fact, no one is except staff. Where'd they go?"

"My father would never- he would never abandon me! He's only waiting for you to let down your guard!"

"The desperation in your voice gives you away," Eliwood said gently. "Please, Erik. I just want my father back."

Erik looked around with a bleak expression before dropping his head and mumbling one word. "Ephidel."

"What?" Hector said, squatting beside him. "Ephidel?"

"Ephidel from the Black Fang is the one you want," Erik said forcefully, looking Hector in the eye. "Ever since he came… my father changed. He always resented Ostia's rule, and felt Laus should take her rightful place as head of the Lycian Leage. But he'd never gone so far as to speak of rebellion… of taking what he wanted by force."

"Rebellion?" Eliwood repeated. "Why would he…"

"Ephidel had something," Erik continued. "I don't know what it was, but with it, he convinced my father to make a plan, set it in motion. He then sent envoys to several other marquesses. Marquess Pherae… was the first to respond." He shot Eliwood a nasty look. "He approved of it."

"My father would never-!" Eliwood burst out.

"Believe or not, that is what happened," Erik snapped. "Marquess Santaruz also sent his approval. That was six months ago. Then… a month ago, Marquess Pherae came."

"Yes, that was the last time I saw him," Eliwood murmured. "Father… what was going through your head?"

"My father and yours argued vehemently that day. Marquess Pherae always distrusted Ephidel, and more so when he met him in person. He tried to convince my father to send Ephidel and the Black Fang assassins out of Lycia. My father would not be persuaded, and Marquess Pherae left the castle. As you know, he then disappeared. I doubt he's still alive."

"Shut your mouth!" Hector snapped, shaking Erik.

"Eliwood said he wanted to hear everything," Erik said, smiling crazily up at Hector. "My father… He is but Ephidel's puppet. He'll listen to anything that villain says. Even watch his own son… die… Those are the sort of people you're dealing with. Marquess Pherae betrayed them. They would not let him live!" He finally cracked and began to laugh hysterically.

Eliwood had turned away and was heading swiftly to one of the windows.

Hector gestured with disgust to Erik. "Take him away and put him in one of his own dungeon cells," he ordered Oswin, who dragged the unfortunate lord away.

Ceniro found a corner of the hall and curled up, wrapped himself in his cloak, and tried not to get in anyone's way. His job was done for the day, and he certainly didn't want to interfere in the lords' haywire emotions. He saw Hector pat Eliwood on the shoulder, probably with some encouraging words, and Eliwood gave a short nod.

The red-headed lord turned and moved over to Ceniro. "Ceniro, aren't you uncomfortable?"

"I'd be more uncomfortable staying in one of the castle's bedrooms," Ceniro said. "Are you going to be all right?"

Eliwood nodded and managed to smile. "Yes, I'll be fine. Are you sure you want to stay out here?"

"Yeah. But you get some rest. You look like you need it."

"That's what I said," Hector grumbled behind him. "Maybe he'll actually listen to one of us."

Eliwood smiled, nodded, and rose. Hector shepherded him towards the residences.

.

Ceniro napped off and on as the sun set and the moon rose. Marcus was in charge of setting the guard, so he still had nothing to worry about. Most of their group actually missed seeing him in the corner of the hall, and he was fine with that; watching the others scurry around with their budding dramas (mostly of Serra's causing, really) was vaguely interesting. Only Lowen and Dorcas spotted him, which surprised him; Lowen's hair covered so much of his face. Dorcas came to sit with him, and for a while, Ceniro fell asleep on the mercenary's broad shoulder.

He woke, thinking he heard Lyn's voice, but it was Rebecca, shouting down from the wall. "We're under attack!"

Ceniro snapped into wakefulness and grabbed at the farseer. On the east side of the castle map displayed on the glass, there were already hostile red markers within the walls. "Everyone gather in the main room. We are under attack and the enemy is already within the walls."


	5. Chapter 5: Noble Lady of Caelin

Chapter 5: Noble Lady of Caelin

.

"Who are the intruders?" was Hector's first question as he and Eliwood charged into the throne room, where Ceniro was already setting up defences. Under the tactician's direction, Bartre and Dorcas upended the heavy wooden dining table and set it across the door.

"Not sure," Ceniro said. "Rebecca says they're too irregular to be knights, but she thinks she also saw a wyvern."

"Could still be mercenaries," Oswin said. "Some wyvern riders go mercenary rather than serve in their military."

"So it's not Marquess Laus come to take back his castle or rescue his son," Hector said. "Damn."

"I've sent Matthew to scout their progress," Ceniro said. "The farseer's having trouble reading unit types in the dark and stone."

"Will we have trouble fighting?" asked Eliwood.

"No," Ceniro said. "Lowen found plenty of torches in the storage, and already set them up where we'll need them. We're going to fight almost entirely defensively until I can get a hold of what forces they have. Unless anyone wants to volunteer for a flank attack."

Hector immediately held up his hand, followed by Oswin and Bartre. "Oswin, you can't flank; you're too noisy."

"And you're not, my lord?"

"I can't send both you and Bartre. Can I send you, Guy? Guy, Dorcas, Matthew, and Erk. Sorry, Hector, I need you here."

Hector shrugged. "As long as I get to do my part."

"Erk, hold off on casting anything unless you can do it and remain undetected," Ceniro said. "Matthew, what does it look like?"

"A lot of archers for a castle infiltration," Matthew reported from the window. "Good thing we don't have any flyers. Mostly lancemen and axemen, otherwise, which means we should be all right, if you need my two cents. They are, indeed, very, very good. I suspect they are part of Eubans' Company, a mercenary group very loyal to House Laus."

"We'll be all right," Ceniro repeated. "You'll lead Guy, Dorcas, and Erk to where you can flank the enemy and catch them unawares."

"What about injuries? Do we have enough vulneraries?"

Ceniro looked at Priscilla. "Do you want to go, too?"

"I can go. I'm not afraid."

"Don't underestimate them," Matthew warned.

"I won't," Ceniro promised. "Once you get close, I can direct you better. I'll keep you safe. You better get in position now, though."

They nodded and slipped back out the window.

Ceniro took a deep breath and pointed the others to their places. Now to wait.

The battle was short, but fierce. Eubans himself did not appear to be in attendance. As soon as they figured out that Eliwood's group was prepared for them, they were already retreating.

"We can't stay here long," Hector said when they had regrouped in the throne room again. "We have to take the fight to Marquess Laus!"

"Patience, Hector," Eliwood said. "We don't know where he is. And the castle is the most defensible place, even if we don't have enough men to properly occupy it."

Hector huffed. "Well, he better hurry up and give us a sign! Matthew, you didn't manage to find out where they might be going, did you?"

"I did not, my lord," Matthew said. "I was too busy trying to stay alive and make sure everyone else did the same. And anyway, there's no guarantee that Eubans is with Marquess Laus at the moment."

"True," Hector said. "Well, I'll take next watch. Go to bed, all of you." He glanced at Ceniro. "If that's all right."

"Yes, just call me if there's any danger," Ceniro said, patting the farseer's pouch.

.

Five days went by, and Hector grew more and more antsy as they went on.

Eliwood tried to calm him down on the fifth day as they were walking outside on the green fields. Grass was already growing over the military paraphernalia scattered across the plain. "Hector, it's not going to do anyone any good if you pace the castle into sand. Why are you taking this so personally?"

"Eliwood, aren't you concerned about how dangerous this man is? With half his army, that's still enough to do significant damage to the Lycian League, especially if another Marquess joined him. Santaruz will soon have a new lord, one not having anything to do with this rebellion, your father's missing, you're incorruptible, my brother can't exactly rebel against himself… but what if Araphen joins him? Or even Worde or Khathelet?"

"They can't go against Ostia's might," Eliwood reminded him. "Ostia has enough military power to control half the League by force if absolutely necessary. As you like to remind me when I beat you in a dual."

"Pfft, sure," Hector said, and snorted with a smile. "All right. But we're still sitting on a time bomb, here."

"I'm worried too, Hector. I just… it's not going to help by fretting. Worry patiently, please."

"Heh. It's just not my style."

"I know. On the other hand… I was also wondering what your brother is making of all this. The death of Marquess Santaruz… Our attack on Laus Castle… These are pretty important events in Lycian politics. Why has he not made any action yet?"

"I'm sure he has other concerns. It's not just the League tying his hands right now."

"What do you mean?"

"Bern's on his mind. King Desmond has been acting erratically over the last few months, and we've received certain disturbing reports of increased military activity."

"But Bern is already the most powerful country in Elibe…"

"That's true, but in Ostia we're worried that he'll take any sign of weakness as an invitation to invade wholesale. My brother's new to both being Marquess and the head of the League. He can't show any sign of weakness, even if it means seemingly ignoring the murder of a Marquess and the mad, rebellion-infused flight of another. Not just every Lycian canton, but every country has a host of spies in Ostia right now, assessing his every move. If he so much as coughs funny, they'll be at him."

"You're his brother… would your absence be taken as 'something wrong'?"

Hector laughed. "The marquess's brother is a well-known lout. If I _were_ at court still, they'd definitely think something was wrong."

Eliwood cracked an amused smile. "And how proud are you of that reputation?"

"Proud? I'm still not certain if the answer is 'very' or 'not at all'."

"Well, maybe you're finally maturing," Eliwood said, reaching over to punch his friend in the arm. "Hey… what's that?"

A while speck was soaring erratically through the sky, coming fast in their direction.

"That's a pegasus knight!" Eliwood gasped. "And she's hurt!"

"Get out of the way!" Hector shouted, and shoved Eliwood over, just in time to catch the tiny, lavender-haired girl.

Her pegasus followed a moment later.

Hector groaned from under the pile. Eliwood was somehow now holding Florina, kneeling to support her, and the pegasus was floundering to its feet, blood from an arrow wound trickling from its flank.

Ceniro had seen it from where he had been sitting, writing, a short way back. "Is she okay?"

"She's unhurt," Eliwood called back, as the tactician came running up as fast as he could.

"What about me…?" Hector grumbled, gasping for air. "Oh geez… I think I broke a rib. Get that Priscilla girl for me, would you?"

"Serra's closer," Ceniro said, mercilessly practical. He turned to the castle and waved, and soon familiar pink pigtails were bobbing up and down as their owner hurried along the road to them.

"Florina?" Eliwood said. "Can you hear me?"

She slowly opened her large blue eyes, and gasped. "L-lord Eliwood! I-I-"

"Take it easy," Eliwood assured her. "You're safe. Your pegasus is safe."

"You're lucky you landed on top of me," Hector said. "And then I was unlucky, because your blasted pegasus did too!"

Florina scrambled to her feet, shrinking away from the blue-haired giant. "I-I-I'm so s-sorry! I- Th-thank you for saving my life!"

Hector waved it away. "A bale of hay would have been more useful."

"Well, I also owe you," Eliwood said to Hector. "I wouldn't have been able to catch either of them!"

"C-ceniro!" Florina said. "You're here! Oh, thank goodness, you can come save us!"

"What's wrong?" Ceniro asked urgently. "You were attacked?" He pointed at the arrow-wound in her pegasus's flank.

And then Serra arrived. "What is all this? Omigosh, Florina! So good to see you again, girl! How is dear Lady Lyn and her boys?" As she spoke, she healed the arrow wound.

"That's the thing," Florina said, talking a bit more confidently now that Serra was around. "We fell under attack yesterday from Marquess Laus! Lord Hausen sent Lady Lyn out of the castle, and sent Commanders Kent and Sain, and Wil and me, to protect her. Lady Lyn is waiting for a chance to re-assault the castle, but she agreed to let me come find you here first. But you must hurry! Please, help us!"

"Lyndis is what?" Eliwood exclaimed. "She's as brave as ever."

"Assaulting a castle with five – four soldiers?" Hector said. "I'd say she's crazy. Did she pick that up from you?" he asked, turning to Ceniro.

Ceniro shrugged slowly. "I don't know. Maybe. She's never been one to back down. She wants to destroy the Taliver Bandits single-handedly, so I would say it's mostly her."

"We will certainly come and help," Eliwood said to Florina. "Is Lord Hausen still alive?"

"Yes, I think so. At least, we hadn't heard that he'd died when I left them…"

"Everyone, pack up and assemble on the castle lawn," Ceniro said into the farseer. "We have an urgent mission in Caelin." He turned to Serra. "Hector was injured by Florina's pegasus. Would you…?"

"Oh! Yes, of course," Serra said, and raised her staff again. "How did that happen?"

"You don't want to know," Hector grumbled. "…Bloody thing sat on me."

"I'm so sorry!" Florina squeaked.

.

They were gone in half an hour, beginning the trek across the green lands to the east. They would have to pass through the orchard fields of Laus, the hills on the Laus/Caelin border, and Caelin woods before they reached the castle. To make things go faster, everyone with a mount took another rider. Florina took Serra, and Priscilla took Rebecca. Merlinus carried a great many people in his cart, crammed in around his boxes and bags of supplies – including an increasing number of weapons, since he was now serving a pair of lords on a mission.

They reached Caelin in record time, for their group, at least. Florina kept her pegasus grounded so they would not be seen coming.

"What does it look like, Ceniro?" Eliwood asked. "Are we in time?"

Ceniro, up on a little hill so he could see in person as well, frowned at the farseer, glanced up at the distant castle, and down at the farseer again. "I can't tell. There are certainly hostile units in the field, or at least units with Laus uniforms, as well as mercenaries. I see no sign of Lyn or of any struggle, not yet. And no real sign of a recent one, either."

"She's not on your device? How did you see Erk in the last battle?"

"Erk was already on from last year, when I was working with Lord Pent. Lyn is from before that. Well, there's not much we can do to find out the truth except move in and retake the castle."

"Remember, if they don't attack us, we don't attack them," Eliwood said to Hector.

Hector rolled his eyes. "This is Marquess Laus we're talking about. You honestly think his men won't attack us on sight?"

"There's always the chance," Eliwood said mildly.

"Florina, whereabouts would you say Lyn might be?" Ceniro asked.

"She's obviously not going to be on the northern fields. She might be in one of the villages, but she'd prefer not to put innocent civilians in danger, you know? So I think she might still be in the forest south of the castle. Would you like me to fly up and see?"

"No, that's too dangerous. However, if you were to fly up once we're ready to move, we can support you if their archers shoot at you and also she might see you if she's there. Stand by, okay?"

Ceniro turned and lined up his fighters. "Take your hydration, and get ready to fight. We're going to attack the castle in five minutes." He turned to Eliwood. "Eliwood, Hector, Marcus, let's make a plan."

"Try not to get shot down again, will you?" Hector said to Florina as he passed her. "I don't wanna pick you up again."

"I-I-I-!"

There were nearly fifty soldiers patrolling the fields to the west of the castle. None dared go near the forest to the south. "I suppose the rest are inside the castle?" Ceniro said, checking the farseer.

"A reasonable hypothesis," Marcus said. "Lord Darin has no real reason to expect our coming."

"Good," Eliwood said. "Perhaps we can catch him before he slips away again."

"If we charge across the plain, we'll get caught in their arrows," Ceniro said. "I think… yes. Here's what we'll do." Eliwood, together with Marcus, Serra, Dorcas, Rebecca, and Guy, would head directly east to the forest to find Lyn, spending as little time in the open as possible since most of them were fairly fragile fighters. The rest would draw the Laus forces towards a trap constructed around a hill and an abandoned tower that stood on top. Erk and Hector would be the bite of that trap; Matthew and Florina would be the bait.

"Sounds good," Hector said. "Let's move out!"

Ceniro turned on the little hill to address the rest of the group and tell them the plan to their faces, rather than inform them by disembodied voice. For some reason, his shyness left him when he was giving battle plans. Perhaps it was all the confident faces looking up at him, faces that were losing their travel-weariness as adrenaline filled them instead.

"One thing," Eliwood said as they prepared to move. "Which group will you be in?"

Ceniro hesitated. "I'd love to be in your group. It's been so long since I've seen Lyn and the rest. But I think I should co-ordinate the trap personally. You'll be fine without my direct presence."

"Let's go!" Hector yelled at the soldiers in his group. "We have to get in position before Laus gets here! Florina, Matthew, move it!"

Ceniro stifled a chuckle. "Don't yell at Florina, she gets stage fright when you do that."

"How does she even fight?" Hector muttered in his ear.

"You're in for a surprise," Ceniro told him. "She's brilliant with a light lance. She just can't interact with men."

"Is that what her problem is? I had so much trouble figuring it out."

Serra, walking past, whacked Hector with her staff. "You have such problems with women, Lord Hector! You're never getting married."

Ceniro did laugh. "Relax, guys. There she goes."

Matthew was sprinting out in front of the rest of the group, Florina soaring gracefully above him. When the Laus soldiers began looking up, and pointing their bows at Florina, Matthew was there, stabbing the first archer in the throat and whirling along their line, dodging their return attacks easily.

When he finally pulled away, three archers were dead. Matthew waved cheerfully at the rest. "Come get me, suckaaaaz!"

"That's good, Matthew," Ceniro said. "If I don't see you juking in the next three seconds, you'll be a pincushion."

"I'm good, just keep Florina up where she is. This is close enough for her."

"Erk, be ready."

"I'm ready."

Eliwood gave a startled yelp, and Ceniro heard the sounds of crashing foliage for a minute or two. "We found them, Ceniro!" One by one, new avatars appeared on Ceniro's map, for Lyn, Kent, Sain, and Wil.

"Oh, Lady Lyn!" Serra squeaked. "It's so good to help out a dear friend."

"A-a dear friend?" Lyn asked. "Eliwood! What on earth are you doing here? Did Florina-? Hello, Dorcas, good to see you."

"Fairest Lady Serra," began Sain, and stopped abruptly. "Don't do that, Kent!"

"We're here to assist you, Lady Lyndis," Eliwood explained. "I fear that Marquess Laus may have attacked Caelin because of our actions in attacking Laus. So we are here to help if we possibly can. And yes, Florina came to get us. You will be happy to know that Ceniro is here, co-ordinating the attack."

"Thank you for coming! I must speak with him as soon as possible."

"H-hi," Ceniro said, a bit shyly. "Look, this end of the battlefield is about to get sticky, so you guys – one minute." He tuned out that group as Matthew ducked inside the tower. "Erk, now."

The mage rose from behind cover and sent three fireballs whizzing out in rapid succession.

"Lowen, Hector, Florina, now." The three executed a three-way pincer and the unfortunate archers were demolished.

"As I was saying," Ceniro said. "Once we've successfully split the Laus army in two, your group should have enough strength to take the remaining twenty or so and make it inside the gate before they know what hit you. We'll catch up as soon as we can. Marcus, Kent, make a plan. I'll check in when I can."

Twenty minutes later, their end of the field was looking decidedly empty, and there was beginning to be a flicker of action on the other end of the field.

Ceniro checked to see who was currently not in action. "Sain, what's going on? We're heading to you."

"Some arrogant twerp in heavy armour is guarding the gate," Sain said. "Wait, how can I hear you?"

"Magic. I'll explain later. I meant what plan did you make."

"Uhhhh, basically Wil and the green girl are arching the enemy mages, while us cavalry are going to take on the enemy cavalry as soon as they're done. Mages can't see them, haha."

"And the rest?"

"Sending Dorcas against the lance soldiers, sir," Kent said, obviously listening in. "Lady Lyn, Lord Eliwood, and our Sacaean ally will be attempting to take down the armour knight, since he is slow and they are quick."

"But he's using a lance, isn't he?"

"If he can hit me, I'll be bloody surprised," Lyn growled. "There's the last mage, Eliwood. Charge!"

Ceniro put the farseer away and concentrated on running.

Florina swooped down near him. "Ceniro, do you want a lift?"

"That would be fantastic, thank you, Florina."

"Hey, how come you get a lift?" Hector asked.

"Catch a ride with Lowen, if you want one," Ceniro called back, and concentrated on clutching Florina around the waist. "Ahhhhhhhhh I've never flown before ahhhhhhhhh!"

Through the muffled farseer, he could hear Sain snickering. "Stop laughing, Sain!"

Florina touched down behind the friendly lines. Ceniro slid off and pointed at Guy, being menaced by a lance-wielding soldier much bigger than he was. "Go help him out, quick." She was alight again in a moment.

Wil was at his side in a moment. "Ceniroooo! We missed you!"

"Thanks," Ceniro said. "Shoot that man, will you?"

"Such business," Wil said. "Wow. Many shoot." He shot the soldier before he could surprise Serra, who was healing Marcus.

The rest of the group began straggling in to the conflict one by one, and Ceniro pointed them in the best directions.

Lyn took a moment to glance at them, and smiled at Erk. "Hello, Erk! Good to see you! I thought you had gone to finish your studies?"

"A pleasure to see you as well, my lady," Erk said, casting a thunderbolt at a particularly threatening knight. "I've joined Eliwood's company for the time being, as my master is on sabbatical. I can explain more later."

And then she caught sight of Matthew, slinking along to stab a soldier in the back and disappear. "Hey! I saw that!"

"You saw nothing," Matthew rejoined, trying to hide behind Oswin. "You got the wrong fellow. Bye."

"Hold it right there, Matthew!" Lyn hollered, and Hector, on Ceniro's other side, grinned.

"I like her already," he muttered to Ceniro, who nodded.

Matthew stopped dodging and walked to stand in front of Lyn, grinning sheepishly. "Saw right through my disguise, didn't you, Lady Lyn?"

"What disguise?" Lyn cried. "You're not disguised at all! I'd swear you're even wearing the same rags as last year!"

"Well, I, uh… I had to try. Being memorable is not great for a sp- thief. I totally said thief."

"Matthew! You were our ally and friend, stop being ridiculous. What's all this about?"

"I can't tell you."

"Sure you can."

"No, I really can't."

"Would you have your tongue cut out if you told?"

"Yes, exactly. You understand." Matthew shot a playfully terrified look at Hector, who was not looking, and Lyn missed the significance of the look.

"Well, if you have any trouble, you come talk to me, and I'll deal with it, okay?"

"Lyndis," Eliwood said, "would you help me with this captain?"

"I'm right there!" Lyn answered, and ran off before Matthew could reply.

"Ah, Lady Lyndis," Matthew said quietly, grinning, "I think you are currently the one in trouble. You're either generous to a fault, or…something else altogether."

"She's something else, I think," Hector agreed, coming up behind them. "Why didn't Eliwood invite me?"

"Ladies first, my lord," Matthew said.


	6. Chapter 6: Whereabouts Unknown

Chapter 6: Whereabouts Unknown

.

The captain of the Laus soldiers was alone, outnumbered, and facing down three angry lords, but he refused to give up. Even as he advanced on Eliwood, probably ignoring Lyn because of her gender, she darted behind him and prepared to assassinate him with the Mani Katti.

Or she would have if Hector hadn't waltzed past Eliwood and chopped the man's lance in half, bashed him in the face with his elbow, and gave him a fatal head wound. Ceniro winced. Hector was brutal.

And now Lyn was beginning to bristle. Ceniro sidled over to Wil, but when Wil figured out what was happening, he tried to hide behind Sain, who smirked at them.

"Are you an ally?" Lyn asked dangerously.

"That's what it looks like, yeah," Hector said, resting his axe on his shoulder. "Got a problem with that?"

"You fight so recklessly!" Lyn exploded. "You're a threat to your allies! Be more careful next time!"

"Be more careful, or don't steal your kill?" Hector growled.

Eliwood raised his hands in an attempt to placate them both. "Hector, Lyndis, please. Let me introduce you. Hector-"

"What?"

"Hector, this is Lyndis. She's Lord Hausen's granddaughter. Lyndis, this is Hector. He's Lord Uther's brother."

"His brother? Really?" Lyn asked, perhaps the slightest edge coming off her anger.

"Yes," Hector said, meeting her halfway. "And, you're right. I taught myself to fight. So it is a little rough."

"I'm sorry for yelling at you," Lyn said. "I've… been on edge, with my grandfather still inside the castle… I don't even know if he's alive. I apologize." She offered her hand.

"I understand," Hector said. "I guess I was kind of a jerk just now. I apologize too." He took Lyn's hand and shook it.

"So you're here with Ceniro?" she said. "Where is he? I saw him a minute ago."

"H-hi," Ceniro said, sidling out from behind Sain's horse. And in front of everyone, she tackled him and hugged him.

"We missed you! It seems like every other day, someone's saying 'I wonder what Ceniro's doing now'. It's so good to see you! Have you been well?"

"Pretty well," Ceniro said, disentangling himself from Lyn's hug with a pink face. "I can tell you all about it once we've secured the castle."

"Yes," Lyn said. "Thank you, Ceniro, and you, Eliwood and Hector, for coming to my aid. Without you, I don't know what I'd be doing right now. Something suicidal, no doubt."

"All of this happened because we routed Lord Darin at Laus. It's only right that we help."

"It's because of your father, isn't it?" Lyn said. "I understand entirely. I would do the same thing in your place. Lord Darin attacking Caelin is not your fault."

"I understand, but I still feel that I must take responsibility. And so we will help you liberate your castle."

"Thank you, Eliwood. Let's go rescue my grandfather."

"Ceniro?"

Ceniro pulled out the farseer. "Lyn, Kent, what can you tell us about the situation inside? What happened to the Caelin soldiers?"

"About half were killed in the attack," Kent said. "The other half are probably locked up."

"They're probably injured and unable to fight," Lyn said. "Ceniro, is there any chance you can protect them?"

"Definitely. Hmm. In that case, we'll send Sain, Florina, Bartre, Matthew, and Guy, and Priscilla to the cells to free and protect the prisoners. The rest…" He put the farseer away again. "Lyn, you and Kent can lead us to the throne room."

"Let's go quickly, before Marquess Laus can sneak away again," Hector said, striding up to the gate. "Look at that, no defences. They must have trusted their troops outside to protect them against attack. Which means… they're still not expecting us."

"Fantastic," Lyn said, walking past him with the Mani Katti gripped tightly. "If he's harmed my grandfather…"

"Lyndis, we need him to answer my questions about my father," Eliwood said.

"I'm not forgetting," she said. "I won't kill him. Come on."

They filed into the castle as quietly as they could.

"Well met, Ceniro," Kent said softly. "It is comforting to know you are with us again."

"I'm glad you all remember me fondly," Ceniro said. "Once we rest tonight, there will be so many reunions…"

"True. Sain?"

Sain was hovering near Ceniro. "Ceniro, I didn't want to say anything before, because it's not nearly as important to the fate of the world as Lord Hausen, but… my wife's still in the castle too, and I know Lord Darin's a lech. So, can we…?"

"Yes," Ceniro said right away. "We'll save her. Does she get kidnapped a lot?"

"Does Lord Hausen get kidnapped a lot?" Sain retorted. "No, this is only the third time she's been in any danger, unlike us. Anyway, this is where I leave you. Prison duty, with me! C'mon, Florina, let's get our boys back."

"They're your 'boys'?" Ceniro whispered to Kent.

"Yes," Kent said, with the hint of a smile. "Though don't let Sain hear that I said so."

Ceniro smiled back, then glanced down at the farseer. "Lyn, you're going to meet resistance at the next hall. After that, surprise will be lost, so then we'll have to really move fast. There is a group of four soldiers behind a pillar; you and Dorcas take them down."

She nodded silently and glided forward into the larger main hall, soft-footed as a cat. Dorcas was close behind her, quieter than one would expect from such a large man.

When the shouts and screams began, Ceniro pointed at the cavalry – Kent, Marcus, Lowen. "Rush the hall. Wil, Rebecca, target those doors."

There was a brief clash of weapons through the farseer, only lasting a minute or two, and then he heard a door slam and Sain's lifted voice. "Rejoice, one and all! Your beloved sub-commander is here to rescue you!"

"Sub-commander!" Ceniro heard the Caelin soldiers say. "You're unharmed!"

"Against all odds, we've survived and are currently kicking butt. Laus is tough, but they can't keep us down, can they?"

"Never! Let's show them round two!"

"Orderly, now. Aha, you are armed, excellent. Ranks, men! To the main corridor, and report to the man in the green cloak."

"Good job, Sain," Ceniro said. "I think that wing is secure. I don't suppose I needed to send so many of you, but come on back; the pressure's on here."

"We're on our way, my friend. Oh, one minute! Hey, Lucius, what are you doing here?"

"I-I… I've been here a few days as a mercenary… well… traveling in the company of my mercenary friend."

"Why didn't you let us know you were here?"

"Well, ah… reasons beyond my control. I apologize for not being able to help protect Castle Caelin…"

"Don't even worry about that," Sain said. "Come along, we'll take your mercenary friend and go see Ceniro."

"Lord Raven, it seems, has already been convinced to join your group," Lucius said, although Ceniro didn't see any new friendly markers on his map. "I will come with you."

"Right. But you take it easy, okay? You've been in prison, it must have been rough. Just stick with me. Hey, you, are you Lucius's friend? Stick with him and make sure he doesn't get hurt, okay?"

Ceniro heard a bass growl in reply, and finally, a new ally appeared on his map; a disgruntled-looking Lycian swordsman.

As Ceniro had said, Laus was throwing the last of their forces against the impromptu army that Eliwood, Hector, and Lyn had cobbled together, and Ceniro was having a job making sure everyone was in the right place at the right time. As Sain's group piled haphazardly into the fray, he gave one last round of orders and began to stand back a bit, trusting that everyone had a pretty good idea of what they ought to be doing. Too much micromanaging, with this many people fighting, would just distract everyone and get them hurt.

But he had to speak up quite a bit anyway. "Watch for that swordsman, Hector! Lyn, help him out, please? Oh, Florina, there's a mage trying to cast Thunder on us; can you take him out? Lowen! Get the archers! Priscilla, Guy's been hurt. Serra, stop bothering Erk. Oswin, cover Matthew! Hello, Lucius."

This was faster fighting in closer combat than he'd ever been in before. Still, he was adaptive, and he'd adapt or his friends and allies would die.

They were edging ever closer to the throne room when disaster struck, a disaster Ceniro wasn't sure he could solve.

"SAAAAIIIIIIN!" A pleading, cracking scream echoed distantly through the halls. Sain wrenched his horse around and began to rush through the rest of the hall.

"Sain- Sain!" Wil yelled, trying to get in his path, but Sain dodged him.

"It's all right, Wil," said Ceniro. "Just give him back-up. He – We all need to save her. Lyn's Legion, take point!"

.

Author's note: You sent me more lovely comments! Thank you!


	7. Chapter 7: The Pirate Ship

Chapter 7: The Pirate Ship

.

"The whoziwhat?" Hector asked. "Lyn, you have a legion?"

Lyn shook her head even as she chased Kent and Sain. "Just a silly thing from last year."

Ceniro ran beside her, and glanced back at his resources. "Florina, give Lyn a lift. Lowen, get Erk up there. Priscilla, you too. There's a lot of armour knights up there and Sain's going to be pummelled without you two."

Sure enough, Sain's wild charge had been halted at a line of heavily armoured footsoldiers. His horse pranced, reflecting the agitation of its rider. Sain screamed in frustration and flung his lance at a soldier, disturbingly accurately, and drew his sword – a tactically suicidal move. Florina swished past, and Lyn leapt from the pegasus's back and rolled, coming up in a crouch with her sword gripped ready behind her. Ceniro placed himself at the entrance to the throne room and began barking orders.

"Erk, Kent, Sain needs support _now_. Florina, distract them. Lucius… can you fight today?"

"I can…" Lucius glanced doubtfully at the light tome clutched in his hand, but Ceniro knew Light magic would devastate the armour knights and if Lucius was willing, that was all he needed.

"Marcus! Take this man to the front now. Hector, Dorcas, Bartre, could use you, too."

Erk, Kent, and Florina's attacks had distracted the enemy enough that Sain had thrown himself off his horse and was bodily battering his way through them with only his sword, his destination a hall-way leading off the back of the throne room. He was stabbed in the leg by a lance, sending blood pouring over his tan pants, but Priscilla, greatly daring, rode past and healed it on the fly with a precisely-targeted spell. Before she could become a target, Kent was between her and the enemy, knocking away their lance-points with his own.

Salir had stopped screaming. Ceniro didn't even waste time wondering why.

Sain was doing a very good job of trying to get himself killed. The Laus soldiers were now dogpiling him, unable to actually stab him, but he certainly wasn't going anywhere. "Lucius, weaken them; axe users, get them off him and form a cordon. Sain, you're going to have to slow down a bit. Let us help you."

Sain didn't answer, just breathing heavily as he scrambled to his feet. He made to run off again, but Dorcas caught him around the waist and lifted him in the air. "Stay. Use your head."

"There's no time!" Sain yelled hysterically. "Gods, the things he might-!"

"Hector, Marcus, Oswin, clear a path. Get him to that hallway." Ceniro pointed, and off they went.

Seconds were passing. Ceniro could feel Sain, now next to him, losing his mind with every minute that passed. The moment the door was clear, Sain bolted for it. Ceniro left Eliwood and Hector to clean up the Laus general as he followed Sain, Kent, and Lyn down the hall.

The door at the end was locked, but Sain's sword and body weight soon had it open and they burst into a small room lined with books. On the floor was a black magic-circle filled with runes, slowly fading.

Sain fell to his knees and slammed his fists into the empty stone floor in rage and grief. "She's- I-"

"Sain," Kent said, putting a hand on his shoulder. "There was obviously magic afoot. It's not your fault."

Sain yanked free of his grasp, baring his teeth. "If I'd been even the slightest bit faster, I could have saved her. What does he want with her, anyway? To ensure that I'll hunt him down and grind his bones into dust?"

"Calm down before I knock you down so you don't hurt yourself or anyone else," Kent said, his voice controlled and emotionless. "It's not our failing. The enemy was too tricky this time. But we'll get them next time."

Sain glanced around, and his eyes fell on Ceniro. The tactician tensed, seeing a tacit accusation in the gaze, but Sain withdrew his gaze, getting himself under control.

'My fault,' ran through Ceniro's head anyway. 'They were too strong; too tricky. I'm supposed to be the best, better than anything our enemies can muster; they trusted me to deal with things like this, and I failed them.'

"Hey," Lyn said. "You gonna be okay?"

"I don't know," Sain said. "I'm sorry, Ceniro. I should have waited for your commands."

"No, no-"

"Lady Lyndis, permission to… be excused?" Sain asked, coming to a painfully straight attention.

"Granted… Sain." He stopped halfway out the door and waiting without turning around. "I trust you. We will get her back, and we will have our revenge." He nodded and disappeared.

"Lady Lyndis, if the castle is secured, we can now search for Lord Hausen," Kent spoke up gently in the wake of Sain's departure.

Lyn gasped at the reminder, and flew through the castle, calling for her own lost relative. "Grandfather! Grandfather?"

"Lord Hausen?" Eliwood joined in.

Hector was looking at the throne. "Eliwood…" He pointed to a splash of drying crimson.

"Lyndis!" Eliwood called her, and she ran to their side.

"No, it can't be!" she said when she saw it. "That's- that's not his…"

"Perhaps he's only injured," Eliwood said. "Come, let us keep looking."

"Yes, you're right," Lyn said. "I must be calm." She reached out, almost unconsciously, and touched Ceniro's shoulder.

Her ears pricked, and she turned to a dark corridor. "Who's there? Show yourself!"

A young woman with magenta hair stepped through cautiously, and bowed to Hector.

"Leila!" Hector said. "What on earth are you doing here?"

"I'm… investigating the disappearance of Marquess Pherae," the woman said with a glance at Eliwood. "We should talk in private."

"No, you come too, Ceniro," Eliwood said, as Ceniro made as if to leave. So the tactician followed the four others down the dark corridor to a small, brightly lit room.

"So you know this person, Hector?" Lyn asked.

"Yes, her name is Leila, and she works for House Ostia as… well, all right, she's a spy."

"Like Matthew?" Lyn asked.

Hector winced, but nodded. "Like Matthew. Hey, don't hold it against him. He was genuinely rooting for you the whole time."

"I'm not going to hold it against him," she said.

"So you're going to hold it against me," Hector grumbled. Lyn opened her mouth to retort, but Leila interrupted them with a cough.

"So, you are Lord Eliwood, and Lady Lyndis, yes? Lord Hausen is in a safe-room beneath the castle."

"He's alive?" Lyn cried, her newest argument with Hector forgotten in relief.

"His life is yet his own. He was gravely injured, yes, but I managed to find his personal physician, who is currently with him. I would suggest it prudent to let the world think he is dead; there will be fewer attempts on his life the fewer people know about his survival."

"I understand," Lyn said, after a short prayer of thanks. "I will do as you suggest."

"Equally relieving, I would assume, is the news that Marquess Pherae is still alive," Leila said, turning to Eliwood.

Hector pumped his fist in the air. "Whooooooo, Eliwood!"

"You're certain?" Eliwood asked, eyes wide.

"I have been posing as a member of the Black Fang for several months. I believe the information I discovered there is reliable."

"Black Fang's name keeps coming up," Eliwood said. "But I still know next to nothing about them. What can you tell us… that we need to know?"

"The Ostian Espionage Division has known of their existence for some time," Leila said. "The Black Fang is a guild of assassins founded about ten years ago by Brendan Reed. They're based in Bern. Their arms reached quickly in several other countries. Originally, they targeted only nobles who abused their positions. The masses saw them as chivalrous, defenders of the common man. Their activities found wide support."

"Wait, so if the OED knew about them, how come I didn't?" Hector demanded.

Leila gave him a carefully amused glance. "The OED does not trust your large, loud mouth, Lord Hector. Sometimes we wonder why Matthew hangs around you so much."

"He doesn't that much… does he? I'm always threatening to bash his skull in when he's being annoying."

"But you threaten everyone like that. I'm sure Lady Serra would appreciate it if you stopped saying that to her at the very least."

"Point," Hector mumbled.

"To continue, about a year ago, Brendan got married again. Black Fang's operations have slowly changed since then. Now, they'll take on any target, no matter how difficult, as long as they're paid. And they're no longer killing only criminals; anyone is a fair target."

"So they targeted my grandfather?" Lyn demanded. "Why would they do that?"

"Yes, but I do not know why for certain. To help Marquess Laus, it would seem. We've learned of a mystery man named Nergal, behind Reed's wife. It seems the Black Fang is performing secret tasks across Lycia for Nergal. Nergal's trusted retainer Ephidel is with Marquess Laus. He manipulated Laus into hatching the rebellion plot against Ostia. The first to answer Laus's call for rebellion was… Marquess Santaruz."

"I don't understand that," Eliwood said. "And my father was next, right? Erik said he was first."

"I do not know if Marquess Pherae endorsed the plan; however, it's certain that he knew of it and had some contact with both Marquess Laus and Marquess Santaruz over it. What I do know is that both Marquesses Laus and Pherae are in a place called the Dragon's Gate."

"But he was just here," Hector objected. "Marquess Laus, I mean. He was just here. We heard him."

"He's not," Lyn began.

Leila winced. "I heard that too. But Ephidel can teleport across vast distances. He is very dangerous; when you meet him, do not underestimate him. He prefers to stab people in the back, but his magic is terrifying."

"Got it," Hector said. "Where in Elibe is the Dragon's Gate?"

Leila actually shivered. "It is on Valor, the Dread Isle as some call it. I have not yet been there; I am not trusted enough in the Black Fang to be sent there. Or untrusted."

"Why is it called the Dread Isle?" Lyn asked.

"It's said that the people who go there never return," Ceniro finally spoke up. "It's the one place in Elibe that wasn't exactly on my destination list."

"But why don't they return?"

Ceniro shrugged. "Adverse sailing weather? Horribly dangerous terrain? Terrible monsters? It's had that reputation for hundreds of years, so it's probably not the doing of this Nergal…"

"If that's where my father is, however, I will go and find him. And this 'Dragon's Gate,' too!" Eliwood cried.

"I'm coming with you. I'm telling you right now, don't even try to stop me," Hector said.

"I'm coming as well," Lyn said. "Sounds like you'll need all the help you can get."

"Lyndis, I appreciate the offer, but… Shouldn't you stay with Marquess Caelin?" Eliwood said. "He needs you, too."

Lyn shook her head. "Laus must be stopped. Otherwise, they might target my grandfather again. I almost lost him a second time, and that's two times too many. And what good did my presence do him? All my strength was not enough to keep Laus at bay… And I owe Sain to rescue his wife."

"That's not your fault… none of those things…"

"I also wish to help Eliwood's father. Losing a parent… It's an unbearable pain. It's something I'd rather you didn't have to feel yet." She gave him a sympathetic look. "My grandfather will live until our return. Your father is in far more danger right now."

Eliwood bowed his head and stretched out his hands to them. "I thank you so much. Lyndis, Hector, you give me strength."

"It's the least we could do," Hector said. "Seriously."

"And you, Ceniro?" Eliwood asked, turning to the man in the corner. "You said you did not want to visit the Dread Isle…"

"Well, not alone, I didn't," Ceniro said, and smiled easily. "I feel it would be an excellent opportunity for me, and you'll definitely need my skills. We'll all support each other, won't we?"

Lyn touched his arm. "I'll be right with you, don't worry. You just tell us how to wipe the floor with the Black Fang."

"I can do that."

"One more thing," Hector said. "And then we'll let you get back to pretending to be an evil assassin. What are these… this Nergal and Ephidel like?"

"I've yet to lay eyes on Nergal," Leila said. "But Ephidel… he's always wearing a black hood that shadows his face, yet his eyes… They're eerie. They glow golden. You can't miss them, they're… inhuman."

Hector nodded, stroking his chin, and took a step back, letting her pass out of the room. "Well, that's an interesting turn of events. Eliwood?"

"Hmm?"

"I'm guessing your dad – heck, Marquess Laus – had no idea what they were getting into. I'd wager the Black Fang is even more important and devious than we've heard so far."

"Hm. True."

"You okay?"

"Just… trying to process everything."

"You know what makes that easier?"

"Music?"

"What?" Hector shook his head. "No, dummy. Beer. Come on. Lyndis, where's your ale cellars?"

"I… don't actually know," Lyn said, blinking. "But I guess it is time for a meal. My stomach is complaining. Let's call the steward. And… we should see what we can do for Sain. I shudder to think what Salir must be going through this moment…"

"That his wife?" Hector asked. "The girl who screamed?"

"Yes," Lyn said. "He's heartbroken…"

Hector nodded, obviously at a loss for words.

.

Supper was quiet. Most of the group thought Lord Hausen was dead, and Ceniro knew they had to be feeling that they had failed.

The worst part was seeing Sain, normally unstoppably cheerful, sitting hunched against the wall with his face in his hands. Kent knelt beside him, trying to convince him to come eat something, but Sain pushed him away and got up and left again. Kent, even more serious than usual, did not follow him.

Ceniro remembered something. "Hello, Florina."

She looked up and gave a tiny, tremulous smile. "You remember me."

"Sure I do. You're hard to forget, actually. But I had some… pretty old news, but it might cheer you a bit." She nodded for him to go on, focusing on her plate. "I was in Etruria last fall, and I got a job working for Lord Pent of Reglay. Well, unbeknownst to me, he had hired a whole wing of pegasus knights for the occasion, although for the most part only their captain travelled with us. Can you guess who was the captain?"

She looked up, and her big blue eyes got even wider. "Not… the 5th wing?"

"The very same."

"Fiora! How was she?"

"She was well. She _is_ like Kent, like you said once. She fought amazingly, and was a great tactical asset, as well as being a very kind person. Oh, you could ask Priscilla about her. The red-headed girl over there? She was with us, too. Anyway, Fiora was happy to know that you were here, safe, with Lyn. And she asked me to say hi to you if we ever met again."

"Thanks so much for telling me! That… that makes me really happy. I haven't seen her since I set out to follow Lyn more than a year ago. Is she still working for Lord Pent now?"

"I don't know. I haven't seen either of them since then. But Erk tells me Lord Pent is on sabbatical, so I would guess not."

Florina suddenly flinched, and Ceniro looked around to see the new swordsman coming to introduce himself, with Lucius hovering anxiously in the background. Ceniro stood to greet him.

"So you're the tactician, huh? I'm Raven. I'm just a mercenary. I work for these guys now, so it looks like I'll take your orders. If there's anything you need me to do, anyone you need chopped up… I'll do it."

He was a lot taller than Ceniro, his face was smileless, and while he didn't have the same bulk of muscle that Hector or Dorcas had, his arms looked like they could break the tactician in half if he felt like it, so Ceniro smiled nervously and said "Thank you," and shuffled surreptitiously over to Dorcas.

.

The first plan of action, Eliwood and Hector decided, was to find a ship to take them to Valor. The next day and a half was spent in travelling to Badon, which was part of a narrow strip of land stretching between Laus and Santaruz to the sea, belonging to Caelin.

An hour's search soon revealed that every honest sailor feared Valor and some made signs to ward off evil's gaze when one of the group asked them for passage.

The easiest way out, it seemed, was to find a pirate crew and then convince them to take them. "Pirates are fearless, or as close as makes no difference, and they'll go anywhere for a fee. Who knows? They might decide to accept your mad offer."

Lyn's face darkened. "I will never treat with pirates. Never!"

"If it's the only way…" Eliwood began.

She spat in the dust. "I've misjudged both of you. To trust them is foolishness. I'll find another way! I'll return when I've succeeded."

She turned to go, Kent, Sain, Wil, and Florina following her faithfully. But she paused momentarily and glanced at Ceniro. "You're not coming?"

He bit his lip nervously and shrugged helplessly. "Eliwood hired me…" Actually, they still hadn't discussed payment. Eliwood had said at some point that he was not expecting Ceniro to come out of the goodness of his heart, and he was going to pay him, but they had been busy and the topic had been forgotten.

"Bullshit," she snapped. "You could come help me look in sane places if you really wanted to. Goodbye, Ceniro."

He wilted under her glare.

"Look here, don't bully the tactician," Hector said. "You let him do what he wants to do. What's your problem, anyway?"

She stalked away without a word, her band following behind.

"Her parents were murdered by the Taliver bandits just before I met her," Ceniro said quietly. "She probably feels pirates and bandits are all one and the same."

"Oh, all right," Hector said. "I can understand that. Perhaps this isn't a good idea, but we probably should talk to the pirates first. If we can find them."

"So, why… didn't… you go with her?" Eliwood asked curiously. "You… like her, don't you?"

Ceniro blushed miserably. "Yes, but… I think she might be mistaken about this."

"Fair," Hector said. "We all make mistakes." He prodded the tactician in the chest with a gloved finger. "That goes for you too, okay? Someday, you're actually going to make a mistake, and you better be able to forgive yourself for it."

"O-okay."

"Good man. Now, wait, you like her? So I should be teasing you instead of Eliwood!"

Eliwood chuckled. "That was getting a bit odd. But you can't deny I was correct."

"Damn straight you were correct. Striking, both in looks and with her sword. And what strength of will! Nice going, Ceniro."

"Ah… can we just find the pirates, please?"

Finding the pirates was easier than Ceniro had thought it would be, and half the port seemed to be on friendly terms with them, but their hefty fee – 100,000 gold – would take some gathering.

"Oh, no," Hector said. "Money's fine. Leave that to me."

"What plan are you up to now?" Eliwood asked suspiciously. "Surely your brother won't lend you that sort of capital for pirates…"

"No, no, no. I'm not involving my brother in this unless absolutely necessary. No, see, I have ceremonial armour, weapons, clothes, rare books and the like… I'll sell it, bring back the cash, and wager it in the local arena. And with Ceniro on our side to pick the odds, we're sure to have that money in no time!"

"No time being the five days for travel, and then however many days required to build up about 10,000 gold into ten times that amount," Oswin pointed out disapprovingly.

Hector glared. "You got a better idea?"

"I don't think it's a bad idea," Eliwood said. "It's true we don't have a lot of time, but how else are we supposed to…"

"Ahoy!" A cheerful face topped with a dirty white head-scarf broke into their circle. "You the toffs what want passage with Captain Fargus?"

"Yeah?" Hector said. "We don't have the money yet."

"Fool, I know that. Th' captain says if you can defeat his crew in friendly combat, you'll earn yourselves passage to the Dread Isle. He's waiting at the docks by our ship, the Davros."

"But… why?" Eliwood asked.

The pirate grinned. "Th' captain's a tad off-kilter. Rather have a bit o' fun with ye than take your gold. You caught his eye with your hare-brained scheme. He likes fellow madmen. What do you say?"

"We'll do that," Eliwood said. "Be warned, we're very good."

"Try not to kill any of us, and we'll do the same for ye."

"Understood."

Lyn arrived about ten minutes later, to inform them that there were Black Fang members in the south of town and they had attacked her.

"We know," Eliwood said. "Ceniro's already sent Marcus and some other people to deal with it. What have you found out?"

"No luck yet," she said, and sighed. "You? You seem to be up to something."

"Actually, we're duelling the pirates. If we can make it to the pirate ship – without killing any of them – the captain will give us free passage."

"I see," Lyn said noncommittally.

"I don't think these ones are bad people," Eliwood said earnestly. "I know some pirates are wicked, lawless men who want nothing more than to murder and pillage. But these ones… barely seem like pirates. More like ocean-faring mercenaries. Won't you give them a chance?"

She stared at him with an unimpressed look for about a minute. Ceniro didn't even dare to breathe.

"Fine. Since you seem to love them so much…"

"All right," Eliwood said, perfectly cheerful. "Let's go, then. We've a ship to catch."

.

The fight lasted a bit longer than it might normally have, since both sides were being more careful than usual, trying not to cause permanent damage on each other. The Black Fang menace was more worrysome, but the pirates joined in that fight as well, and Ceniro had the odd duty of explaining to Marcus that yes, he expected him to team up with the young head-scarf-wearing pirate in order to drive the Black Fang out. Marcus was not impressed with fighting alongside "Dart, leader of Fargus's suicide squad!" but he really had no choice. A more welcome recruit to the knight was a scholar of dark magic, who introduced himself as Canas, and who had a desire to go to Valor as well.

Lyn, Eliwood, Hector, and Ceniro approached Fargus the pirate captain at the same time. The old sailor grinned. "Do my eyes deceive me, or is this beauty travelling with you?"

Lyn's brows furrowed, but she said nothing as she walked proudly up the ramp onto the ship.

"Lyndis, I understand your feelings, but we don't have a choice-" Hector started as he followed her.

"I didn't say anything!" she snapped.

Ceniro was only half-listening, instead searching the boarding soldiers for one friend in particular. He stopped Sain as he was about to lead his horse onto the ship.

"Sain… how are you doing?"

The knight glanced at him with red-rimmed eyes in a ghastly pale face, and then draped himself over Ceniro. "Ah! S-Sain, you're really heavy!"

Sain didn't move. "I'm a failure as a knight… The one maiden I've sworn to love and honour and cherish above all others, and she was taken by villains… Right from my side, almost."

"Easy, there," Kent murmured, helping lift Sain's heavy, man-of-action-and-muscle deadweight from Ceniro's thinner frame. "Come along, sub-commander. We have work to do."


	8. Chapter 8: The Dread Isle

Chapter 8: The Dread Isle

.

"Hello, lovely ladies," Sain said, attempting to grin like his whole world wasn't currently hanging by a thread.

Rebecca shied away from him, her lip curled. "Your wife just got kidnapped and you're hitting on-!"

"Don't mind him," Serra said, for once being the voice of understanding and reason. "He's trying to pretend everything's normal. Even last year when she was right there, he would flirt with anything female. And, come to think of it, she would flirt with all the boys, too." She moved over. "Sain, honey, it's okay. Keep your hope alive. She's surely wreaking havoc on the Black Fang right now, toying mercilessly with their affections."

Sain broke slightly. "But… she's not. He's probably… I can't even…"

Serra slapped him in the face. "Pull yourself together! This is just what he wants, to use her to break your spirit. You're a man and a knight, and even if you can't save her, you're going to destroy him, understand? You need to hold it together until then. Understand me?"

Sain's face set, though he was still swallowing violently. "Yes, ma'am."

"Do be careful, Sister Serra," Lucius said. "It won't do to turn him into a vengeance-fuelled angel of death, either."

"I'm fine," Sain said. "I… I won't lose myself." He took a deep breath, and when he let it out, he seemed to come back a little. "I'm not broken, not yet. Nearly, but not yet. Nor is my sole desire to destroy Lord Darin in the most brutal of ways. I have my friends to lean on, and there's still hope. Right? There's still hope that she's still all right, and we'll… sail across… this long voyage…"

"Shh," Lucius said, getting up and resting both hands on Sain's head. "Don't talk about it, you'll kill your hope, and that is what you need right now. There is always hope. Trust in Saint Elimine's mercy."

"But what if-"

"Then we can decide what to do when it comes up," Lucius said firmly. "For now, pray. Come, pray with me. Sister Serra, would you join us?"

Ceniro moved away from the door where he had been watching quietly and climbed back to the deck. Few of their rapidly-growing band were there; it was mostly sailors as the army was still stowing their gear and supplies in a more-manageable fashion after the hastiness of their departure. Well, Guy was hanging over the railing, being solidly sea-sick. Ceniro felt sorry for the Sacaean. It _was_ disconcerting to be on such shaky footing. And it was a fairly calm day, too.

Hector and Lyn were standing near each other near the stern of the ship, and Eliwood and Fargus near the bow. Ceniro glanced between both of them, and chose to walk towards Eliwood and Fargus. He wasn't sure what Lyn thought of him right now, though she seemed to have accepted the whole 'pirates' deal. Still, better to stay away from her until she was less angry.

"Listen to me, laddie," Fargus said to Eliwood as Ceniro approached. "Men are strange beasts. We can't resist a challenge. Something appears in the horizon, and we immediately set sail. Some dreams we conquer, others we abandon." He paused and looked out at the cloudy horizon. "…I've grown old. I haven't had a good challenge in many a year. Then you mooncalves appear seeking passage to the Dread Isle. I was impressed with your courage. I think you may be the ones to survive the Dread Isle."

"We won't disappoint you," Eliwood said. "We'll return for certain." He nodded to Ceniro, who hovered on the edge of the conversation.

"All right. Then we'll weigh anchor and wait for you. Light a signal fire when you want to return, and we'll pick you up."

"Thank you."

The white-headscarf pirate hailed from the main deck, and Ceniro saw Hector and Lyn approaching as well. "Captain! There's a dory adrift to port! It looks like there's someone aboard. What're your orders?"

"Bring 'em aboard," Fargus ordered. In a lower voice he said to Eliwood: "Odd, finding anything in these waters…"

"Why's that, captain?"

"Anything floating about here would have been carried by currents from the Dread Isle…"

"Oh… that is odd, I suppose."

"Shall we greet our guest?" Fargus invited with a gesture, and Eliwood and Ceniro preceeded him down to the deck, where Lyn was helping Dart lift a cloud of seafoam-green out of the dingy. Hector had just cracked some joke or other, and was grinning while Lyn told him to shut it.

"You done talking to old man Fargus yet?" Hector asked Eliwood as the red-head came within discrete talking distance.

"Yes. We were right to trust him; we're lucky."

"Hmm. If you say so."

"Wait, is that… Ninian?"

"You know her?" Hector asked in some confusion, glancing between his friend and the pale girl lying in Lyn's arms.

"Ninian, wake up!" Lyn said, shaking her gently. Ceniro came and knelt by her, and she cast a more-friendly glance in his direction.

"She's how I met Lyndis a year back," Eliwood said to Hector. "I rescued her from a band of villains. I'm sure I told you about it."

"Oh, _that_ girl that you rescued from a band of villains. You do that so often, how am I supposed to keep track?"

Ninian groaned as she cracked open her crimson eyes and gazed hazily up at Lyn.

"Ninian! You're okay. You're safe. It's me, Lyn."

"…Lyn…? …I…"

"Where's Nils, why wasn't he with you? Why were you in that boat?"

"Hello, Ninian," Eliwood said, kneeling beside Ceniro. "Do you remember me?"

Ninian moaned again and moved her hands weakly and fretfully. "W-who…"

"Lyndis, there's something wrong," Eliwood said, though his expression didn't change from his carefully-compassionate smile. "Let's get the healers-"

"Captain!" Dart called again. "Pirate ships approaching from the northwest!"

"They dare challenge Captain Fargus and the Davros? They must be mad!" Fargus bellowed. "Call the crew to battle-stations!"

"What flag are they flying?" Hector asked, squinting at the distant ship bearing down on them. "I don't know that pattern. Black Fang, perhaps?"

"Neither do I, laddie, and I've been sailing a sight longer than you've been alive," Fargus said shortly. "It doesn't matter. These are our waters, and none sail belligerently here without our leave! You whelps better watch your own hides. It's going to get messy here and none of my crew can spare time for you!"

"Lyndis, take her below," Eliwood suggested. "Take her to Lady Priscilla."

"Good idea," Lyn said. "Ceniro, can you help-"

"I got her," Hector said, taking her from Lyn before she could protest. Ninian looked tinier than usual in his arms. "You guys stay here and keep an eye on things. I'll be back."

"Thanks, Hector," Eliwood said, and Hector nodded absently as he departed down the hatch.

"He's not that bad," Lyn said reflectively as she went to stand beside Eliwood, watching the approaching ship and the sudden bustle on deck. "For all his gruffness…"

"You just have to get used to him," Eliwood said, smiling. "He's a good person, really."

"What's going on?" Wil's head poked out of the other hatch. "Do you need us? Can we help?"

"I think we're fine for now, Wil," Lyn said. "I'll- we'll call if we need you."

"You got it!"

"What on earth is that ship doing?" Eliwood said. "What are those things?"

"Cannons," Fargus said, in the middle of roaring orders at his sailors. "Black-magic tears the hell out of a ship's hull. Haven't seen one of those since I defeated my arch-nemesis twenty years ago. These fellows are dangerous, to be sure!"

The cannons fired, but instead of a crack or a boom like Eliwood was expecting, they made more of a 'poot' noise and a wad of black energy arced out at the Davros.

Hector was back. "What is that?"

Eliwood told him.

One of the balls of energy struck the side of the ship, which shuddered. "We need to close, fast," Fargus muttered.

But that seemed what the enemy was interested in, as well – just they wanted to cripple the pirate ship first.

"How about we call up our army?" Hector suggested. "You'll need all your sailors to deal with… sailing things."

"It's fine. We have this under control!"

Fargus spoke too soon. Another blob struck the ship, and Ceniro heard a crack of wood. Leaning over the side, he could see a hole in the side of the ship, uncomfortably close to the waterline.

One of the pirates screamed from below decks. "Captain! We're taking on water! Lots of it! It's bad, we need every hand below decks to pump and repair, or we'll sink!"

"Blast," Fargus growled. "I'd love to go over there and tear those bastards a new one with me cutlass, but I'll take you lot up on your offer now."

"Go," Eliwood urged. "Fighting is what we're good at. Sailing, not so much!"

"All battle-ready people on deck, please," Ceniro said into the farseer, and saw a surge of allied movement from below-decks. "Leave the horses, but Florina, you might want to bring your pegasus. Serra, Priscilla, one of you must stay with Ninian; decide between yourselves."

He heard scattered acknowledgements, and in seconds, soldiers were scrambling on deck as fast as pirates were leaving it.

The enemy ship was heaving boarding ramps in their direction.

"What do you need me to do?" Florina asked in her little voice.

"Nothing specific yet, just wait until I can get a look at what they're planning. Ah, I lied. They have pegasus knights. I need you to lead them in front of Rebecca and Wil. If you want to tangle with them yourself, go ahead, but leave some for the archers as well."

"Understood."

"Kent, Lowen… Sain, swords today. Canas, Lucius, may I ask you to take places here?"

"They're charging," Hector remarked tightly.

"Oswin, Hector, take the charge. Knights, pincer on Hector. Axemen, pincer on Oswin."

The battle went so far in their favour, they managed to cross over to the other ship and capture it, despite the enemy captain being an adept shaman. Lucius felled him without much difficulty; the monk was looking much more alert and healthy than he had when Sain had liberated him from Caelin's dungeon.

Fargus came up from patching the breach, and had no use for another ship, so they let it drift away, full of the Black Fang's dead.

While the army licked their wounds, Ceniro's attention was caught by a soft gasp from the hatch.

"Ninian, you can't come out yet!" Lyn cried, seeing her. "There's blood everywhere!"

"Blood?" Ninian asked, and suddenly turned green. Serra was behind her, and hastily helped her stagger across the blood-slick deck to be sick in the ocean. She apparently didn't have a lot to be sick with, though, and Ceniro made a note to ask Serra to feed her – although Serra was competent enough and was probably already thinking that.

"I'm sorry," Ninian said at length, breathing sea air deeply.

"Are you okay, Ninian?" Eliwood asked, touching her arm.

She looked at him in worried confusion. "Is… that my name?"

"Oh dear," Lyn said. "What's happened to you? You can't remember anything?"

"My head is so… foggy… We're at sea?"

"Yes, we found you in a small boat."

Fargus beckoned Hector aside. "When you go, would you… take her with you? The men are afraid she… she might be cursed, you know?"

"Cursed?" Hector frowned, unconvinced. "I'll ask Eliwood what he thinks."

"We're not leaving her behind," Lyn said. "We can't do that to her."

"We're going to the Dread Isle," Hector retorted. "It's called Dread for a reason."

"We can't leave her behind. That ship was definitely full of Black Fang members, and they bear a remarkable resemblance to the men hunting her and her brother last year. I'll protect her personally, but we are not leaving her where they can just pick her up."

"Understood." Eliwood touched Ninian's hand to get her attention. "We're going to an island to rescue my father from some wicked men. Would you like to come with us? It will be dangerous, but we can protect you."

"Yes… I would like that. Please… take me with you."

They landed on Valor a day later.

"We'll wait two weeks," Fargus said. "Light a signal fire, like I said, and we'll come get you."

"That's great," Hector said. "Thanks for all your help."

"And I've a half-wit sailor who wants to go sight-seeing."

"That's me!" Dart said, saluting with a grin. "Ready to serve!"

"His only redeeming feature is his sturdiness. Maybe he'll come in handy."

"We're pleased to have you," Ceniro said.

"We can't thank you enough…" Eliwood began.

"Come back alive, that'll be all the thanks I need," Fargus grumbled, and strode back to his boat. "And take care of that scrawny, nervous little tactician of yours. Feed him something, would ya? He needs it." Ceniro sort of giggled in nervous embarrassment as the boat pushed off and rowed back to the Davros.

"There are good people, even among pirates," Lyn said, which Ceniro guessed was a huge thing for her to say, to change her mind so completely about someone.

"I don't think the old man and his crew are your average pirates," Hector agreed.

"Now to find the Dragon's Gate," Eliwood said, stepping slightly away from the group. "There doesn't seem to be a road of any sort…"

"Dragon's Gate?" Ninian asked.

"What is it?" Lyn asked her, checking her sword at her side – the island was covered in thick forest, and the heavy clouds did not help dispel the foreboding feeling the group was getting from it.

Ninian shook her head, frustrated. "I don't know…"

"Well, we have to head into the woods one way or another," Lyn said. "And it should be soon… it's getting foggy, and we don't want to get separated." She glanced back at the army, making sure they heard the last part.

"It feels like there should be a sign saying 'Enter and be lost'," Hector said, scratching his head as he looked at the twisted trees. "'Abandon hope all ye who enter here'. 'Those who enter never return'."

"Hector! Are you trying to curse us?" Lyn demanded.

"No, just scarin' the kiddies a little bit," Hector said with a grin.

"Well, stop it! There's someone right there!"

"That's… Leila! What are you doing here? Nice work, finding your way here-" Hector broke off suddenly, and he and Matthew stopped short in their walk as Leila's body sagged and fell to the ground. Ceniro could see even from where he stood that she had been dead for a few hours at least.

Matthew, after the first horrified moment of silence, dashed forward to cradle her body in his arms. Ceniro heard a clatter of armour behind him and knew that Sain and the other Ostians were reacting badly.

"I'm sorry, Matthew," Hector murmured.

"Why do you apologize, my lord?" Matthew asked, looking up with a blank face. "Leila blundered in her assignment. That's all. It happens."

"Matthew…"

Matthew passed an arm over his eyes. "After she got back, I was… I was going to ask her to consider putting this life behind her. Waited too long, I guess. Ah…"

"She was one of our best," Hector said.

"My lord… might I rejoin you later? She must be buried. While it would be nice to take her back to Ostia… the climate and our mission prevent that."

"Yes, of course. Take the time you need."

When Matthew had vanished into the forest, Lyn clenched her hands and ground her teeth. "They put her here for us to find. What foul beasts they are!"

"I agree completely," Hector said, his expression even darker than hers. "Wait-"

Hoofbeats were upon them, and before anyone could react, a Sacaean horseman had dragged Lyn away by her long green hair. She shrieked and clawed at his hand before remembering her sword.

"If you value her life, hand the girl over," the horseman demanded, pointing with his other arm at Ninian, who flinched and hid behind Eliwood.

"Fat chance," Lyn spat, even as the Sacaean wrestled with her and seized her slender wrists. "You're Sacaean, aren't you?"

"That's correct… I am Uhai of the Black Fang. I've been sent to capture the girl… And to kill the lot of you. If, however… you hand over the girl and depart the island at once, I'll grant you your lives."

"I'm more concerned about your life, right now," Hector said, watching Lyn foam at the mouth and fingering the edge of his axe.

"You know nothing, little lord. Nothing of Nergal's might. Nothing of his terrible power. You are ignorant, and so you hope to oppose him. You are insects railing against the heavens. Your actions will change nothing. Speak no more foolishness and begone!"

"…Maybe we don't know what it is we're fighting…" Eliwood said slowly. "But if we flee, our loss is assured. So we will continue to struggle, and we may yet prevail!"

"What fools you are," Uhai said, and gave Lyn a shove back towards the others.

"You let me go?" Lyn asked the obvious.

"It's wrong to hold a woman hostage during a battle. And you, too, are of Sacae… I will allow you the mercy of dying with your sword in your hand. Rest assured… I will kill you all here. But be of good cheer! In dying, you shall all be spared the calamity that is to come!" He gestured, and though the fog was thickening, Ceniro heard enemy forces moving in the forest. A glance at his farseer did not tell him much, though Uhai flinched at the flash that it gave off. The fog and trees were too thick to pin-point enemy troops. Time to do this the old-fashioned way, then.

"Ninian, go stay with Merlinus," he said quietly to her. "We'll protect you-" He stopped as Matthew stepped out of the forest again. Ninian hurried off.

"Matthew?" Hector said. "You're back so soon?"

"What are you talking about? Look at this eerie place, this thick fog… This is exactly why you brought me with you." His eyes and nose were red, and at Hector's searching look, he went on. "If Leila… If Leila knew I was shirking my duties, she would never have forgiven me. I'm fine. I will work twice as hard for Ostia in her honor."

"…Right. I'm counting on you, then. Tell me where my enemies are! Ceniro, tell me which one I should attack first!"

.

This was not a battle that would be won quickly. An hour later, there was still no end in sight, not least because the fog was settling in quite thickly and nothing would dispel its effects, not the lighting of fires nor the vantage point of Florina's wings nor the sharpness of Matthew's grief-stricken eyes.

Still, when a new pegasus knight showed up, from the cliffs to the northwest, the farseer went 'bloop' very deliberately, as if to remind Ceniro that it was still useful.

"Fiora? What on earth – Florina, go talk to the new pegasus knight, find out what she's doing here. Ask her if she'll come talk to me or if she wants to keep fighting out there."

"Okay. Excuse me, our tactician… Fiora?!"

"Florina? How did you come here? I thought you were safe in Caelin! What's happened?" Fiora's voice had an odd note to it.

"Caelin was attacked by Marquess Laus. We've chased him here. What _happened_ to you? You look _awful_ … Come, our tactician wants to talk to you. I think you know him, right?"

"How should I…"

"His name's Ceniro. He told me he saw you in Etruria!"

"Oh, that tactician! Yes, take me to him. He can tell me how to best avenge the Fifth Wing…"

"Oh dear, what happened to them?"

"Just take me to Ceniro and I'll tell him everything."

When Fiora landed, she was a sight. Bedraggled and muddy, with her beautiful teal hair a tangled mess and a bloody bandage on her arm that she had probably put on herself, and her pegasus wasn't much better off. Ceniro stared at her. "What happened to you?"

"Hello to you too," she tossed at him tiredly.

"Priscilla, I need you at my position immediately. Fiora's here and she's hurt. Fiora, how did you even get here?"

"Pegasi can fly, can't they?"

"It's a long way from the mainland. Can you start at the beginning?"

"Can I go out and slaughter those murderers instead?"

"No. Sit. Eliwood, you can go on ahead. Dorcas, Raven, come escort Fiora and me."

Fiora drooped wearily. "Fine. I suppose I'm too tired to do any more of that today."

"Start from the beginning. What brought you here?"

"Lord Pent," Fiora said immediately. "He hired us for odd jobs off and on over the last winter, but in the spring he called us with a large commission. He said he was going to study in the Nabata desert, but he had heard that there was a powerful elder magic user living here on the Dread Isle, and wanted us to verify that. But, it being the Dread Isle, he warned us to be careful as no one knew what dangers it could hold. We should have listened more carefully…" She sniffed.

"Fiora, I know you. You would have listened carefully to everything he had to say. You don't have to tell me any more if you don't want to."

"We fell one by one… We buried our own and continued on. But they laid a trap for us, and out of eight knights, I was the only one who survived…" Fiora broke down completely and sobbed. Priscilla went to her and hugged her before raising her staff. Fiora clung to the healer. "Hello, Priscilla. I'm sorry for our meeting again like this…"

"It's nothing," Priscilla whispered. "I'm sorry you were all alone…"

"Anyway, I have been harrying them as best as I could for a few days now… I was running low on food, so I thought today would be the day to take as many as I could with me… But now you are here."

"We're here, and you can help us defeat them," Ceniro said. "Ensure that the memory and the honour of the Fifth Wing lives on. Although…"

"What?"

"One minute," Ceniro said; it was time for another round of orders. They didn't seem to be too threatened in their current position by one of the small swift rivers winding down the island slope, and every now and then he could catch glimpses of allies running through the undergrowth.

When he was done, he turned back to Fiora. "I'm not really sure what to do with you…"

"What to do with me?" Fiora demanded. "Let me fight! I'm good at it, you know that!"

"Yes, but I really want you to keep being alive, and I'm not sure you're very good at that right now. Listen! I don't want to keep you back; I don't need you going crazy with inaction. But you've been through a lot, and you need rest. You're not yourself right now, and revenge isn't going to fix that. Same with Sain. I have to keep him busy enough that he doesn't go to pieces, but out of danger enough to ensure that he won't get chopped to pieces instead. I trust both of you to fight your hardest, but I don't trust you to show a healthy amount of self-preservation right now."

Fiora stared at him for a minute. "What you say… makes sense. I will admit I don't know what I would do if you put me on the front lines right now."

"You're definitely not going there." Ceniro made a helpless little shrug. "I haven't actually done this before; pulled someone back because they were emotionally compromised. It was talked about at the Academy, but exercises aren't close to the real thing, you know?"

Fiora finally let go of Priscilla as he did some more battlefield management, and actually managed a smile. "I sometimes forget how little battlefield experience you have. You always seem so wise."

"Haha, thanks. Anyway, I have an idea for later. For now, can you do guard duty? At the back of our forces is a little cart with a merchant and a girl in it. They're very important, and this bunch of Black Fang is trying to take the girl."

"I understand," Fiora said. "They will not get past me. What allies will I have there?"

"General Marcus of Pherae and his apprentice Lowen, Bartre, Dart, Rebecca, and Priscilla will be going with you. She can lead you there if you miss it in the fog."

"I'm a professional," Fiora said. "Thank you, Ceniro. We'll talk later."

"Yes," Ceniro mumbled under his breath. "We certainly will."

"Ceniro!" Eliwood called. "We defeated… Uhai. He gave us directions with his dying breath…"

"Sacaeans are so dramatic," Hector grumbled, and then gave a little yelp. Lyn had probably punched him.

"Okay," Ceniro said. "It's getting dark, though."

"I know," Eliwood said. "And it's hard to tell if the enemy are truly routed."

"I'm not sure, but I'm not seeing any movement besides us. I would guess that they ran and will come back with reinforcements later."

"We should find a safe-ish place to camp for the night," Hector said.

"I'll find you a place," Lyn said. "Just leave that to me."

.

In camp, Ceniro went in search of Fiora. She was talking to Florina, and already looking better than she had. "Um, excuse me."

"Hello, Ceniro," she said. "I have to apologize-"

"No, don't," he said. "There's nothing to apologize for. Instead… I have someone I think everyone thinks you should meet."

Kent bowed. "Greetings," he said, in full-blown courtesy mode. "I am Kent, Knight Commander of Caelin. I am told that we are much alike in temperament."

Florina giggled. "See?"

Fiora looked at Kent with curiosity. "I would tend to agree, by your salutation. I am Fiora, ex-commander of the Fifth Wing of Ilia's Pegasus Knights, and I am pleased to meet you."

"Kent will be helping you get settled," Ceniro explained. "And the two of you will be tasked with keeping Sain out of trouble, if that's all right with you."

Kent nodded. "It's what I was doing anyway. May I sit with you?"

"Should I go?" Florina asked.

"You're not afraid of him?" Fiora asked in surprise. "Stay, if you would."

"I've… gotten used to him over the last year. And he's like you. He's… nice. They're all nice. We'll introduce you to Sain, and Wil, and Lady Lyn, and all the rest of the people that I know…"

.

The next day, Hector and Lyn were at each others throats the longer they travelled together. Eliwood was walking ahead of them with Ninian, and a cordon of various light-armoured fighters was in front of them.

"You make so much noise when you walk," Lyn complained. "Can you tone it down at all?"

"Is this better?"

"Not really. You're still clanking a lot. Why do you wear that heavy armour, anyway?"

"Because I'm not ridiculously fast and cocky like you," Hector grumbled. "I need to be able to take a few hits. And I certainly can't be quieter; I'm already being as quiet as I can while still moving forward."

"I am not cocky! I fight as a Sacaean. Armour just slows us down. Guy fights the same way."

"Yeah, yeah, I know, but I'm just saying, the reason I wear heavy cavalry armour is to stay alive, and I'd rather be alive and noisy than quiet and dead."

"I just think you can do better."

"A little clanking-"

"Will you both stop?" Eliwood turned and glared at them. "We have many heavily-armoured units, and horses and pegasi aren't exactly inconspicuous. There just isn't anything we can do about it. But armour or no, if you keep sniping at each other like that, every hostile soldier between here and Pherae will hear you!"

Hector glanced at his mud-stained boots as Lyn bit her lip penitently. "Sorry."

"Just stay calm," Ceniro said from behind all three of them. "The Black Fang will ambush us sooner or later…"

"Eliwood," Lyn said, pointing. "I see ruins. Is that the Dragon's Gate, do you think?"

"Hard to say until we get there," Eliwood said. "Hm?"

Ninian was looking at him with suddenly luminous eyes. "Danger… approaches…"

Ceniro checked his farseer again. "I don't see anything new… Do you know from where, Ninian?"

"The ruins," she said, and pointed. "They are not the Dragon's Gate."

"I'm tired of fighting on the defensive," Hector said, and strode past both of them. "Yesterday's bout in the fog was more than enough for me. Let's get out there and send them scurrying home!"

"Oh, I am finally getting something," Ceniro said. "Looks like a fair number of magic users. Fiora, Florina, you'll be busy today. Also Erk, Lucius, Canas."

"Bah…" Hector grunted. "I hate fighting mages."

"Perhaps you should not charge out so recklessly today," Eliwood began.

"What nonsense is that? I can't fight from the back! And I'm not going on guard duty!"

"I just meant-"

"Hector-!" Ceniro tried to put in, but Hector was walking away, rolling his eyes. "Ninian, you'd better go join Merlinus. One moment and I'll assign you an escort-"

The farseer suddenly gave off a sputter of sparks, and Ceniro dropped it, startled.

"What happened?" Lyn asked.

"I don't know," Ceniro said, kneeling beside it and poking it cautiously. "It's… blank. Like it suddenly shut off?"

"It's a magic seal," Ninian said. "A being whose very existence nullifies magic…"

"Odd," Eliwood said. "Why would they cripple their own forces?"

"A third party?" Hector said. "In any case, it makes the Black Fang easier for us. They're prisoners of magic now. I can take the field now, yes?"

"Ah, one moment," Ceniro said, and began shouting orders the old-fashioned way. Ninian hurried to the back of the formation, while the three lords and various of their knights and followers formed up, ready to take the hurt to the Black Fang.

The leader of the Black Fang forces was a sage, Ceniro would guess a noble-man by his richly-embroidered robes, but the magic seal was still in effect, and his plea to the heavens for thunder to devastate his enemies went unmet. Fiora cut him down.

With his passing, the rest of the Black Fang scattered, and after a few minutes, the magic-nullifying effect disappeared as well. The farseer popped a couple times, displayed every possible display all at the same time, and reset, working, but all the data he had previously entered, all the allies and maps and information about past battles, completely blank. Ceniro sighed at it. At least it still worked. He had been worried that it wouldn't; Lord Pent had really only made it shatter-proof.

"Is everyone all right?" Eliwood asked, looking around cautiously.

"Somehow, yes," Hector replied, looking around equally cautiously.

"Both of you, I'm sorry," Lyn said. "I was saying things I really shouldn't have."

"I apologize too," Hector said. "I was just shouting without thinking. We're both at fault."

"No, I don't think either of you were at fault," Eliwood said. "There was an odd feeling in the air, an eerie power, when the magic-nullifier appeared, right? I think it affected more than just magic."

"You think so?" Hector said.

"Now that you mention it, I was so irritable…" Lyn said. "I couldn't let even the smallest thing go by without complaining. …What could that have been? The Black Fang couldn't use magic either. So it wasn't an ally of theirs…"

"It doesn't matter," Hector said. "We should press on while we still can. The next battle won't be so easy."

"Hang on," Ceniro said. "I'm having to reset everything, but it doesn't show Ninian. Wil, where's Ninian?"

Wil's voice was fuzzy; the farseer must have been still slightly damaged. "Ceniro? Oh, thank goodness! They said the farseer broke, but I've been trying to get a message to you for ten minutes now!"

"We'll talk about battlefield communication and how not to use magic as a crutch later," Ceniro said. "What's your message?"

"She ran off! Matthew ran after her, but I couldn't keep up, and the forest is too thick for-"

"Sir!" Lowen rode up, a little unsteady as he tried to dodge low-hanging branches. "I bear an urgent message from Sir Wil-"

"Thanks, Lowen, I'm receiving it." He forced himself to stay calm. "It's all right. It's not your fault. Go… uh… stand down for a bit."

"Yes, sir," Lowen said, obviously unhappy at everything.

"I can find Matthew, just not Ninian… odd… Matthew?"

"Here," the thief's voice came back, hushed.

"Are you all right?"

"I'm all right, she's all right… but you lordly types – and Ceniro – should come as soon as you can…"

"On our way. Stay there so we can find you."

Matthew was waiting outside a low, crumbling building of white stone. "She's inside… It's… eerie…"

Lyn was the first inside. "Ninian?" she called in a low voice.

Ninian was standing like a pale statue in the middle of a wide courtyard, overgrown with grass and vines. She turned at Lyn's call, and the sun, appearing through the finally-lifting clouds, shone on her head. "Lyndis?"

"Ninian, what are you doing here?"

Ninian shook her head, confused. "I… I don't know… But it's very familiar, somehow…"

"Why would she be familiar with anything on the Dread Isle?" Hector muttered to Ceniro. "And what about the Dragon's Gate? We're way off course now…"

"Hector, you're very insensitive," Lyn hissed at him, and Ceniro saw him bristle slightly.

"If it restores her memory…" Eliwood said. "It's a very old building; it's definitely been here for centuries."

"Listen, aren't we in a bit of a hurry here? While we're wasting time, your father could be-"

"It's all right," Eliwood said calmly. "I'm sure it won't take long."

"He's too nice for his own good," Hector grumbled. "You agree with me, right, Ceniro?"

"I-" Ceniro began, and then turned as someone teleported in behind him with a 'ffft' sound. The army, startled, raised their weapons

"Eph-" began Hector, and stopped. The young man in the dark robes was not the Ephidel Leila had described; his robes did not shadow his face ominously, nor did his eyes glow inhumanly golden. And he smiled disarmingly at all of them as he made his way over to Hector, Eliwood, and Ceniro. Lyn and Ninian were still in the centre of the courtyard.

"Hello," the man said. "Fellow travellers?"

"That's right," Hector said, wary. Ceniro knew as well as anyone that there were no casual travellers on the Dread Isle. "What brings you here?"

"I was resting here. This building seems to have been empty for a long time."

"Is that so?" Hector said. "In that case, would it bother you if our group took a rest here, too?"

"Not at all."

"Do you know anything about this place?"

The man smiled again. "These ruins, or Valor?"

"These ruins, actually," Eliwood said, sheathing his rapier and sitting on a broken pillar. "You appear to be a scholar, do you know anything you could share with us?"

"It's a ruin from the Scouring… The residence of a dark sorcerer. I've found several ancient tomes here. Fascinating stuff, really. If I can unlock their secrets, I can move closer to the darkness. From what I've gathered so far, I must make further reparations."

"What does that mean?" Hector asked.

"It's the fate of those who study dark magic. If you covet the dark, you must enter it of your own free will. You must erase yourself and become an empty vessel. Only then will you be able to receive the dark and master it. If your disposition is weak, the dark will overwhelm you. You will be… lost… Often, you will forget why you seek the power to begin with. Only a few people ever gain true power. To win such a prize, one's self is a small and insignificant sacrifice."

"Is that so…" Hector glanced skeptically at Ceniro, who shrugged.

"I've heard rumors…" went on the man. "Bramimond, one of the eight legends, devoted himself entirely to the dark. All emotion, all memory… dissolved in a river of dark. That is how he received the power to best dragons."

"I don't understand," Eliwood said. "Why would you give up your very identity? How could that be worth any power?"

"Every living soul has felt that desire… the desire to have something at any cost. Sure you have felt it too, Eliwood of Pherae."

Eliwood leapt to his feet, his sword once again in his hand. "Was it you who-?"

The robed man also rose to his feet and drew his hood over his face, laughing. "Uhai and Aion's deaths were convenient… Your exhaustion is even more convenient… I, Teodor the Shadow Hawk, lay claim to the deed of killing the young noble of Pherae. When I'm done, I will continue to examine this building's treasures at my leisure."

He launched a massive black magic spell at Eliwood, who couldn't move – if he dodged, the spell would hit Lyn and Ninian, and he knew it.


	9. Chapter 9: Dragon's Gate

Chapter 9: Dragon's Gate

.

Eliwood couldn't move out of the way. Lyn and Ninian were behind him, and if he dodged, they would get hit.

Except Lyn was already tackling Ninian out of the way, and Hector was charging at Eliwood. Ceniro made a gesture, and light magic courtesy of Lucius burst over the druid's head.

The druid barely moved; apparently Lucius was not strong enough to phase him. "You are all foolish to try to harm me," he said, smiling. "Your numbers matter not. But just in case…" He waved, and Black Fang members poured out of the building ahead of them, surrounding them on ramparts.

Eliwood and Hector were picking themselves up out of a tangle on the ground, their armour and clothes stained with grass, black residue from the spell, and blood from their earlier battles. Lyn was dragging an unprotesting Ninian back to the army. But when the enemy pointed their weapons at them, they stopped moving.

"Well?" Teodore asked. "Do you give up? Wise of you."

Eliwood glanced at Ceniro, who nodded. It only remained to be seen if he could give his orders before someone took an unlucky shot from an arrow.

"Like I said before," Eliwood said to Teodore, "if we give up before we've even tried, we've already lost. But even you cannot know all outcomes. We shall fight our hardest to win, to protect Elibe from you and your master!"

"Cavalry, attack," Ceniro ordered instantly. "Pegasi, ambush those archers; magic users, concentrate fire on the archers as well. Everyone take cover!"

But it takes time for a cavalry charge to get up to speed, and Teodore had teleported away long before Marcus, Kent, Sain, and Lowen arrived; instead, they gave cover to Lyn and Ninian, who were not being attacked, and Eliwood and Hector, who were. Hector's heavy armour was helping, and he held his broad axe over Eliwood, protecting him somewhat more. An arrow snagged in his heavy cloak and broke off.

And a heavy, unnatural black fog poured over the courtyard. Hector swore as suddenly he lost sight of everything except Eliwood. But Ceniro could still see through the farseer, enough to direct his forces.

"Oswin, Raven, you're in charge of Ninian. Lyn, move north to the wall; I need someone to take down that armour knight before he reaches Erk's position. Erk, if she doesn't find him, you have incoming. Bartre, Dorcas! Go down the southern stairs and care of the ballista before it hurts someone! Wil, you're on ballista duty once they appropriate it." He felt the hair on his neck stand up, and skipped backwards, just in time to avoid a random lightening bolt. "Ow. Erk, was that-"

"Got him," Lyn said. "Erk's clear."

"Walls are clear of archers, I think," Fiora reported. "Or they've stopped firing."

"I've felled an enemy mage," Sain said. "Was that the problem?"

"We need to get inside and find that druid," Ceniro said. "Matthew, lead Eliwood, Hector, Lyn, Lucius, and the pegasi into the main building. Marcus, you have the south side; Kent, you have the north side." He rattled off some names, and heard acknowledgements as he himself ran forward to join Eliwood. He nearly tripped over a rock, but that saved his life, as a lance passed over his head. He rolled and twisted, looking up at a heavily armoured man with a huge lance. He froze momentarily, and that should have been the end of him, except the enemy took the time to leer at him, enjoying his fear.

Who was in range? Marcus should be in range. "Marcus, little help here?" Ceniro rolled again, trying to put some rubble between him and the armour knight.

"Where are you?" Marcus asked urgently.

The huge lance smashed through the rock next to Ceniro's head, and he scrambled to his feet and ran again. "I'm east of your current position. Armour knight!" He was dead, he was dead, he was so dead…

"I'm on it," Wil's voice said, and Ceniro heard a resounding twang and a crunch and a grunt. He turned to see a bolt protruding from the armour knight's chest, just as Marcus rode past and decapitated the knight.

Ceniro leaned his hands on his knees, panting. "Thanks. Continue…"

"Are you all right?" Lyn said. "Shall I come get you?"

"That would be fantastic, thanks." Ceniro fumbled forwards until he dimly saw her approaching through the blackness. She reached out and took his hand and dragged him forward until they passed into the building.

Although there was much less natural light inside, the darkness seemed to lessen, and they could actually sort of see from one end of the large room to the other.

"Hang on," Raven's voice crackled through to Ceniro. "The girl's gone."

"Did they take her?" Ceniro asked, fear trickling through his voice. Eliwood turned and waited for him, eyes wide.

"I don't think so," Raven said. "I think she just left."

"I'm not a fantastic tracker, but I would agree," Guy put in. "That side of the battlefield looks fairly untouched."

"Of all the times…" Hector began.

"We have to slay that druid," Eliwood said. "Then the darkness will lift, and we can find her. Come on!"

"Eliwood, duck!" Ceniro yelled, and Eliwood hit the floor in time to not get trampled by a pegasus knight. "Hector, take her down!"

"There's another one," Lyn said. "Shall I…?"

"Yes. Florina, support her."

Eliwood rolled to his feet. "There he is!"

"Fiora, Lucius, as soon as the entranceway is clear, help Eliwood."

"Anything for me to do?" Matthew asked, tapping his blade against his leg impatiently.

"Make sure no one sneaks up on me this time, please."

"You're clear for now."

"Stay. Please."

Matthew finally stopped fidgeting and nodded.

Ahead, Eliwood seemed to be holding his own against Teodore, at least, until his rapier snagged in the druid's sleeve and was ripped from his hand.

"You need a bigger sword, Eliwood!" Hector said. Lyn giggled. "What did I say? Oh… shut up!"

"Here!" Lyn cried, finished with the one pegasus knight, and tossed Eliwood her spare sword. It was a katana, not one Eliwood normally fought with, but it would give him a fighting chance.

Florina and Fiora were doing their best within the enclosed space, but the advantage still was with Teodore, who was keeping everyone dodging by filling the room with randomly-cast dark spells. Florina took a hit and her pegasus stumbled on the floor, dumping her off. Lyn rushed to her side, but she was all right.

And then Lucius shuddered, as if he was having a seizure, but when his eyes opened, he looked perfectly calm. Light was surrounding the monk, and as he lifted his arm to point at Teodore, the collected light blasted out at him, knocking him off his feet and smacking him into the wall.

Lucius fainted, and Ceniro was close enough to catch him. "Eliwood! Finish him, now!"

Teodore coughed weakly, feeling at the blood trickling down his head. "This is what I mean… if I only had more power, you would not have come even this close…" He raised his hand to cast again, but Eliwood, after the briefest hesitation, slashed Lyn's steel sword across his throat.

After a moment of silence, the red-headed lord straightened and passed Lyn's sword back to her, and retrieved his own. "Thanks. Now… where could Ninian have gone?"

"Status?" Ceniro asked the farseer.

"North building is clear," Kent reported. "Both for enemies and Lady Ninian."

"South building is also clear," Marcus said.

"Then she must be around here somewhere," Lyn said.

"Unless she ran out into the woods again…" Hector said. "Eliwood, your girlfriends are weird."

"My- Hector, I don't have- And you know that-"

Hector laughed. "And you're still too easily flustered. Aren't you the one telling me to talk in complete sentences all the time?"

"Boys!" Lyn called, which effectively shut them both up. "I found her."

"How did she get past them?" Eliwood wondered.

"How did she get past us?" Matthew said, looking around. Lucius was coming to, so Ceniro left him with Florina and followed the others.

Ninian was waiting in a smaller room behind the big one, staring at a painting on the wall. The rest of the room was filled with books, piled haphazardly on rickety bookshelves that looked hundreds of years old – yet the decay Ceniro would have expected of the bookshelves and books existing in a rather humid climate was not there. There was no grass growing through the floor or vines curling around the shelves.

The painting was faded, but it was clear – a dragon bent to touch its nose to the outstretched hand of a human. The gesture looked familiar, even affectionate. Ceniro guessed it pre-dated the Scouring, for it was impossible for dragons and humans to get along after the Scouring. Or perhaps someone had painted it in nostalgia for long-forgotten days.

"Eerie," Eliwood said quietly. "Ninian?"

She started. "Huh? I'm here…"

"Did you remember something?"

She looked around the room in confusion. "…No… I'm so sorry for the trouble… There's nothing."

"It's all right," Lyn said. "Cheer up! We'll find something sooner or later."

"We'll have to camp before we reach the Dragon's Gate," Hector said. "There's not really enough daylight left to make a daytime assault, and that's what I'd really like. The moon's a new moon, and with the cloud cover…"

"I agree," Ceniro said. "We'll go on until we see it, and then we'll camp for the night."

Hector nudged Eliwood. "Just one more day until we can rescue your father. Yeah?"

"Yes," Eliwood said. "Let's go. Are you all right, Ninian?"

"Yes, I'll follow you."

.

"No, Hector," Eliwood said, "it was not a waste of time. Every Black Fang we defeat lessens the chance of their causing mischief on the mainland."

"But we're not even facing off against their upper level lackeys," Hector argued. "Even that power-hungry druid we fought yesterday wasn't a higher rank in their organization."

"How do you know that?" Lyn asked.

"Because he…" Hector stopped and glared at Lyn. "That's a really good point. I don't know that; any argument I can make can be countered pretty easily. I have a feeling, though."

"The other day you were teasing me for saying the Black Fang smelled like they were up to no good, and now you're exhibiting signs of a sixth sense…"

"That's irrelevant," Hector protested. "What do you think, Ceniro? Have we been facing higher-ups in the organization?"

"That druid did have a nickname," Ceniro said. "I think that would be given to someone relatively high in rank. And he did have the leisure to visit the ruins apparently on his own time, with his own troops. But not, I think, one of their top commanders."

"And why do you think that?" Lyn asked. "I'm just trying to figure out how this works."

"Me, too. Ummm… For me, it was his fighting style. He was powerful, but we defeated him fairly easily, and not, I think, just because our forces matched theirs in number and ability, and not just because you have me and they don't. I asked Canas about him, and he said that all that the druid said about dark magic was true, but that Canas wasn't far behind him in ability. Anyway, I agree with Eliwood."

"Huh?" Hector had lost the original dispute.

"We do need to rescue Lord Elbert and Salir as quickly as possible. But in the bigger picture, the Black Fang are up to something, something big that will threaten the peace of all of Elibe. So… the more we hinder them here, the less they can do later, even if we're not taking out their leaders yet."

"But if you're right, we still have to stop… what was his name? Nergal? We have to stop him before he gains any more power. It sounds like he is already powerful enough…"

"But he wants more… why?"

"Good question," Hector said to the tactician. "We'll find out. For now, look at that!"

Priscilla faded out of the ranks following them and up to Ceniro. "Um, can you come quick, please? Ninian's… um… reacting."

Ceniro followed her quickly, and the three lords followed him.

Ninian was shaking like a leaf, covering her face with her hands. "So much power… so frightening… I'm scared!"

Priscilla put an arm around her. "It's okay, we're all here…"

"It's her ability to sense danger," Lyn murmured to Hector. "She actually does have a sixth sense. And no doubt the Dragon's Gate is very dangerous."

"Sometimes I think we actually are insane," Hector muttered back. "Visiting the Dread Isle, taking on feared assassins' guilds and mystic powers… We're just not aware enough to be afraid of the consequences."

Eliwood knelt in front of her. "What is it you sense, Ninian?"

She took his outstretched hands and sniffled. "I should not have come… terrible things are about to happen! I… this place! I-!"

"She's getting worse," Eliwood said, standing and putting an arm around her to guide her away. "Let's get her out of-"

Someone teleported in, just in front of him. "You'll not be going anywhere. That little bird has escaped this island cage twice, and she won't be going anywhere a third time."

Eliwood's arms tightened protectively around Ninian. "Who are you?"

The tall, cloaked figure bowed. "I am Ephidel, and I am pleased to finally make your acquaintance."

"So you're Ephidel?" Hector growled. "I've been looking forward to this."

"…Gallantly spoken. Of course, I know who you are. Marquess Ostia's younger brother, Lord Hector. And here we have Caelin's beloved princess, Lady Lyndis. Did you all like the gift I left for you in the forest?" The glowing golden eyes narrowed into a sneer. "The corpse of that filthy red-haired spy?"

Hector seethed. "You monster, I'll crush the life from you with my bare hands!"

Ephidel smiled. "Don't worry, it only took one stab. She did not suffer long, if it means anything to you."

Hector roared and rushed at Ephidel, who vanished. The next moment, Ninian screamed, as she was wrenched away from Eliwood. Both Ninian and Ephidel appeared on the ridge ahead of them. "This girl is needed for the master's ceremony," Ephidel said, still smiling.

"Ninian!" Eliwood called.

"Lord Eliwood!" Ninian called back, struggling against Ephidel's hold on her wrist. "Let me go!" The next instant, they had both vanished.

"Florina, Fiora, get up in the air and confirm what I see," Ceniro said. He didn't fully trust the farseer anymore. "Everyone else, formations, now."

"This is very bad, isn't it?" Lyn said to him as the army reorganized itself behind them. "What kind of ceremony do you think he was talking about?"

"I don't know. I just hope she doesn't get hurt before we can get to her. Don't think about it for now, just focus. Let's go!"

They ran or rode down the hill towards the ruins.

"What are we aiming for?" Eliwood asked Ceniro.

"There is a general with an entourage by a large door at the back of the exterior compound," Ceniro called back. "I think we should start be defeating him and clearing the exterior compound, and then move into the main building."

Eliwood grimaced. Clearing the compound would take time, but it was better than sweeping through and then getting trapped inside by Black Fang reinforcements.

"Matthew, we'll need your skills to open a few doors, I think. Although… Kent, Sain, your target is on the far side of the courtyard. Bash down that wall with the help of Dorcas and Bartre. Erk, Priscilla, go with them. Rebecca, we have incoming pegasus knights. Guy, Lowen, protect her while she deals with them. Florina, Fiora, there is a cluster of mages ahead and to the left; keep them busy until Oswin, Raven, and Canas can join you." The farseer's screen went blurry and indistinct for a moment, and he peered at it anxiously. Was he giving it too many orders to convey? Was it still acting up after the nullifier's influence? He certainly didn't have the know-how to fix it. Only Lord Pent could do that, and Lord Pent was who-knows-where.

Well, it was only a useful tool. He'd rely on his voice if he had to. Or Hector's voice.

He resisted the urge to shake the farseer – it probably wouldn't help, and might hurt it – and jogged to keep up with Eliwood, who was aiming for the main gate of the complex with Marcus vigilant at his side.

He heard Hector arguing with someone off to the side, and the blue-haired lord appeared a few moments later, dragging a man probably in his 30's with a scar over his left eye and very long silvery hair. "Defector. Seems to be good at picking locks. Can you use him, Ceniro?"

"Yes, please," Ceniro said. "We're clearing this area of the compound of hostiles…?"

"Legault," the man said. "Former Black Fang, now freelancer. I'd be happy to assist you in looting the place, if you're after that kind of thing."

"It may come in handy but primarily I would appreciate it if you helped the archer, the Sacaean swordsman, and the Pheraean knight get into that locked building. Dart, take him there and add your strength to theirs. Lowen, you will receive a new recruit shortly." He turned back to Legault. "If you want to take valuables or quality weapons while you're in there, go ahead." It wasn't time to dally over the new man's loyalty. If Hector – not normally a trusting person – felt fine throwing the man to Ceniro's orders, Ceniro felt he could trust him for at least the duration of the battle.

Matthew popped the lock on the main gate and stood back to let Eliwood, Marcus, and Lyn inside.

Lord Darin was waiting for them.

"Hector, Sain, we're going to need your assistance!" Ceniro called.

"Right here," Hector said. "This sunovagun is going down."

"Where are you?" Sain cried urgently, and with an edge in his voice – no doubt he guessed why Ceniro had called him.

"Just head north down that corridor and turn… left. I believe you'll see us."

Eliwood marched up to Lord Darin, ignoring the entourage – who were confronted by Lyn and Marcus, and even Matthew. "Why would you do this?"

"Guys, are you finishing up?" Ceniro murmured into the farseer to the army at large. Sain rounded the corner and his face set. "We may need backup at the main gate very soon…"

"Why else?" Darin answered Eliwood, smiling triumphantly. "I will rule over the world! Nothing else matters. Why would you dare to challenge me, who have the power of the Black Fang at my call!"

"The Black Fang is using you," Eliwood began earnestly. "You have done too much damage for Ostia to be very merciful, but stop this madness now! They don't care for you, anymore than you cared for Erik when you left him to us in Laus!"

"You know nothing!" Darin roared, and swung his axe to the side without looking, knocking Sain off his horse in full charge. The horse stumbled and swerved, and Sain tumbled hard to the ground, picking himself back up with his lance in his hand. Another blow from Darin snapped the lance in half.

"Hector, Kent, don't let Sain kill himself," Ceniro said. Sain threw his broken lance at Darin and drew his sword. Though he was tall, he looked skinny and fragile next to Darin's armoured bulk.

But Hector didn't. "You face me, Darin!" he yelled, and swung his axe, the Wolf Beil, at Darin's helmeted face.

Ceniro, who was shorter than every man currently present except perhaps Matthew, shrank back against the wall, quietly directing suggestions to the combatants. One of Darin's subordinates saw what he was doing and came for him, but Lyn got in his way, gutting him below the armour before he could reach the tactician.

Kent took a nasty blow, getting between Darin and Sain. "Serra, go to Kent. Kent, pull back for a moment." Sain tried to dart forward again and now his sword was snapped in half. Weaponless, he didn't resist – much – as Marcus dragged him back by the scruff of his neck. Ceniro could see Kent gently chiding his partner, and Sain seemed to be actually listening, which was encouraging.

Darin was currently forcing Hector down to his knees. His entourage was gone, but he still fought strongly enough for all of them. He raised his axe and Hector, stunned, weakly raised his own to defend.

"Hector!" Eliwood cried, and stabbed forward swiftly, as Lyn knocked the axe away from Hector.

Darin paused as Eliwood flitted away, reaching down to a chink in his armour at his side and bringing back a blood-stained glove. "Blood? Is this… my blood?"

"And good riddance if it is, you bastard," Hector grunted, getting up now with Lyn's help. He must have been shaken – Ceniro didn't think he would accept her help otherwise.

"Ephidel, to me!" Darin cried, but blood was trickling from his mouth now. "Your master… ugh…" He stumbled to his knees.

"Surrender, Lord Darin," Eliwood cried. "Surrender, and we shall spare you."

"We will?" Hector asked, but Darin slumped over on his face and breathed his last.

Lyn shook her head. "He was mad. Why did he think he could rule the world?"

"Ephidel must have worked on his mind," Eliwood said. "I don't recall him being quite that bad before."

"The exterior looks to be under control," Ceniro said. "We can press on to storm the interior now."

"Good work," Eliwood said. "Come! We must find Ninian, Salir, and my father!"

And Salir appeared in the great door at the top of the stairs. She looked dazed, and dazzled by the light.

"Salir!" Sain cried, jumping up from Kent's injured side and running to the stairs. She didn't seem to hear him, looking over the steep side with a frighteningly calm expression.

"Florina, we may need an intervention…" Ceniro began, but Sain had reached Salir's side and, heedless of the potential danger beyond the black maw of the door, thrown his arms around her. She started.

"What did he do to you?" Sain asked urgently into her hair. "He's dead. We killed him. But tell me what he did and I'll…"

She stood awkwardly in his arms. "He did nothing to me…"

"Salir-"

"I swear, he did nothing. Lord Elbert protected me, and they were so disorganized… I suppose in your attack… I just walked out." She burst into tears and clung to her knight. "But I was so sca-ha-ha-hared!"

"It's all right now, Salir," he said soothingly. "It's all right. We've come to take you and Lord Elbert home. Can you tell us where he is?"

"I don't know. He left the prisons before I did. I… Sain, please don't leave me here…"

"No one will touch you," he assured her.

"You can take her down to Merlinus," Ceniro said, leading Eliwood, Lyn, and Hector up. "Some of our group took pretty serious injuries, and they'll be there too while Serra works on them. And a guard, of course."

"Lady Lyn, I-"

"It's all right, Sain," Lyn said, and smiled at them. "You two go on and rest. We'll be back with Eliwood's father very soon."

Inside the Dragon's Gate was dark, so dark that the only light seemed to come from the healer's glowing staves. The light of the door faded as they climbed seemingly-interminable stairs.

"Father!" Eliwood cried as they went, though their weapons were gripped firmly in their hands. "Father? Where are you?"

"Lord Elbert, we've come for you," Hector joined in.

A cracking voice echoed from further up the stairs. "El… Eliwood?"

"Father!" Eliwood began to run, leaving the others behind. Hector wheezed in his heavy armour.

"No," the voice continued, and as Ceniro climbed, he saw Eliwood kneeling next to another kneeling, red-haired man. As he raised his head, Ceniro could see the resemblance. "Take… the girl, and flee…" He pointed, and Eliwood looked up the stairs yet further to see Ninian, standing alone and facing away from them.

"You're all right, Father," Eliwood said. "We'll get you both out of here. Come on. Can you stand? Hector, can you help-"

"She is the key to the Dragon's Gate," Elbert said urgently, and coughed. "Hurry! You must go before Nergal realizes you have defeated Darin…"

Lyn sprang up the steps to Ninian's side. "Come, Ninian. …Guys, something's terribly wrong… But there's no time…"

Hector got an arm around Elbert's shoulders and lifted him easily. "Eliwood, I've got your father. Go help Lyn with Ninian."

"Got it!"

"Hector… you came… too? Thank you…"

"Don't worry about it," Hector grunted. "Man, this place gives me the creeps…"

As Ceniro turned, behind the rest of the group there was a young man swathed in dark cloth, waiting with a pair of knives in his hands. The farseer wasn't registering his presence.

"You shall not leave," the youth said in an expressionless monotone.

Elbert struggled. "You must not fight that man! He is incredibly dangerous. He… I can't even describe… his strength, his speed."

Eliwood was still gently guiding Ninian away from the top of the stairs. "We have no choice…"

"You should listen to your father, young Master Eliwood," said a new voice, and Ceniro turned again to see Ephidel at the top of the stairs, where Ninian had been until recently.

"Ephidel!" Eliwood cried, and there was considerable anger mixed into his voice.

"Even among the Black Fang, Jaffar is renowned for his skill," Ephidel said casually. "You might know him as the Angel of Death, one of the Four Fangs. You will never see him coming should you choose to fight him. And none of you will kill him."

"I'm not so sure about that," Matthew said, a hard gleam in his eyes, his own knives in his hands. "I think me or Lady Lyn could take you, hotshot."

Jaffar's face remained impassive. "No. You could not."

Ceniro gritted his teeth. They were caught between a master sage and a legendary assassin. His friends were good, but he wouldn't be able to get them all out alive. Unless some miracle happened, his skills were about to fail them again. Lyn, Matthew, Raven, and Guy would take Jaffar… Guy would probably fall first; he was the least experienced out of the four of them. He had to keep the knights away from the assassin; Oswin in particular would be easy prey for those knives. Erk would probably help, if he could cast fast enough to be accurate in any way… Lucius might be a better bet, but Lucius was frail in body if not in mind.

And then there was Ephidel. If Marcus could get close, he might be able to take him down, but Ceniro suspected that Ephidel might be tougher than an ordinary human spellcaster – something about the glowing golden eyes gave him that idea. And then he had no idea what Ephidel could cast, or how fast, and probably several people would die before he would be taken down, but he couldn't predict who… So then he would have to throw Fiora and Florina in, and Eliwood and Hector at him as well, and leave Oswin to guard Lord Elbert… Perhaps it would be wise to leave Fiora to guard Lord Elbert as well. Or perhaps she could just fly him out… he seemed to be injured in some way, and it would be quicker and safer. Surely Jaffar couldn't leap high enough to take down a pegasus knight… but he could throw his knives…

"In any case!" Ephidel said, interrupting Ceniro's and they turned back to him. Jaffar didn't seem likely to attack without orders. "In honour of your hard-fought arrival, my master has prepared a special show for you."

"No!" Elbert cried, gaining sudden strength. "You cannot release the dragons!"

"Dragons?" Eliwood asked in a low voice. "Father, what is he doing?"

"You will know shortly," Ephidel said haughtily. "At the expense of your father's life."

Elbert suddenly doubled over, despite Hector's supporting arm, and clutched his chest. "Agh… ahh…"

"Father!" Eliwood cried, just as Ninian turned and, as if sleepwalking, climbed back up to the top of the stairs. "Ninian?"

"Pow…er…" Ninian mumbled. "So much… power…"

Ceniro became aware of yet another dark-robed figure some distance behind Ephidel, crowned with a dark turban. "Now, Ninian…at last. Open the Dragon's Gate."

"Gate…" Ninian mumbled, and raised her arms. The back of the cavernous chamber began to glow, dimly blue at first, and then brighter and brighter, and more and more red and orange and yellow. "Open… gate…"

The entire chamber shook suddenly, and the floor began to quiver as if in an earthquake. The gate was blazing as if with fire, and a roaring filled the air as Eliwood knelt helplessly beside his father, reaching out to steady him.

They could hear the dark robed figure, presumably Nergal, over the noise. "This way, children of flame! Come to me!"

And with a massive, earsplitting roar, a golden-red dragon's head emerged through the water-like surface of the gate, followed smoothly by the rest of its body. It spread flaming wings and howled. Eliwood's father cried out in agony, gripping Eliwood's hands so hard his knuckles were white.

"…It can't be," Hector gasped, and Eliwood and Lyn echoed his expression of disbelief.

Nergal laughed. "Yes! Use every drop of strength in your body! Call the dragons!"

"No!" cried a new voice, a boy's shrill voice, from the bottom of the stairs. "I will not allow this!"

"Nils!" Lyn cried.

The boy ran nimbly up the stairs. Jaffar had apparently been given no orders regarding Nils, as he let him run right past him.

Ceniro's mind was blank. How were they going to fight Jaffar, Ephidel, Nergal, and a dragon? With Ninian, Nils, and Elbert unable to fight or even, in Elbert's case, move rapidly?

They couldn't. They were going to die here. And then Nergal would take over the world with dragons.

"Ninian!" Nils shouted. "You must not do what they want!"

She half-turned, startled. "…Nils?"

The gate wavered, and the dragon twisted, still caught in it, howling in pain.

"Ephidel, stop him!" Nergal snapped, and Ephidel grabbed the boy before he reached Ninian.

"Nils, stop this! The power is running wild, and it will destroy us all if-!" The golden-eyed man shook Nils, who wasn't listening in the slightest.

"Ninian, are you with me?"

The siblings locked eyes, and Ninian nodded. "I'm here, Nils."

"Then let's go before the dragon collapses and blows up!" Nils wrenched himself free of Ephidel, grabbed Ninian's hand, and pulled her down the stairs.

Ceniro turned and found Jaffar had disappeared. "Matthew, where did he go?"

"I don't know, I was too busy watching- Run!" The thief grabbed Ceniro's arm and pulled him along with the others. He dropped the farseer, but it didn't break on the hard green stone steps; he scooped it up and stumbled after the others. Hector and Eliwood were supporting Elbert between them, and Ninian and Nils were keeping up very well. He had forgotten how quickly Ninian could move in her deceptively-clinging dress.

Ephidel was screaming desperately, and Ceniro almost felt sorry for the monster. There was an explosion and dust and stone chips rained down around them.

The red glow at the top of the stairs faded and silence fell. It was a miracle. Nils was a miracle.

"Well… something happened," Hector broke the silence. "Don't know what the hell it was, but, it happened…"

Nergal appeared out of thin air right next to Ninian and Nils. "Nils, you brat! If it wasn't for your interference… Come! Both of you!"

"No!" Ninian cried.

"We will never follow you!" Nils said, taking a step forward to defend his sister.

"Ninian- Nils!" Eliwood cried, but Elbert was quicker.

Before anyone could react, the injured marquess had struggled to his feet and dashed forward, snagging Hector's knife on the way, and stabbed Nergal in the chest. "You… will… not… touch them!"

"By your hand…" Nergal said, glancing down in seeming astonishment at the knife buried in his chest.

"I told you," Elbert said, falling back into Eliwood's arms, exhausted. "I… will oppose you… always."

"Why won't you die?" Nergal hissed, and collapsed in a pile of empty robes.

"Father!" Eliwood cried, lowering his father to the ground. "Are you all right?"

"Eliwood, be prepared… he will return, and soon…" Elbert groaned, feeling his own chest. Ceniro looked around for Priscilla, but her staff was already raised and glowing, and a look of panic was on her face.

"We will, but first, let's get you out of here, Father. Let's go home."

"I… I'm done, my son. He was stealing… my life, this whole time. I give it gladly… so you may have the chance… to finish this…"

"No… No, Father, don't say that! Mother's waiting in Pherae, she's waiting for you!" Marcus passed him a healing elixir, and he offered it to his father, who pushed it away gently.

"Eleanora…" Elbert smiled a little. "She will be cross with me…" His breath caught in his throat. "That… potion… won't help now. It's… not my body… I'm sorry, Eliwood. Tell your mother… Tell Eleanora… I'm sorry…" He gave a little twitch and his eyes closed.

"Father?" Eliwood asked, painfully quiet, desperate. "No… you can't… Not here, not now… Please, not now… Not after all we've done to find you again…" The words poured out of him, a broken, babbling stream, as tears began to pour down his face. His father lay still and pale in his arms. "Father… Please… Open your eyes…"

And Eliwood screamed with his grief, and Ceniro sank to the ground under the weight of it.

.

Author's note: I really don't think there is any effective way to capture Elbert's death. There really isn't. It's just… one of those moments that stabs you in the heart every time you play it, but to read it… just doesn't do it justice.


	10. Chapter 10: New Resolve

Chapter 10: New Resolve

.

The trek back to the coast was silent, as was the ship ride back to Badon. Eliwood locked himself in the cabin he was ostensibly sharing with Hector, who said nothing but went and bunked down in the same space as Ceniro, Wil, and Guy. Ninian and Nils, too, spent their time mostly secluded.

And Ceniro didn't spend much time below decks either, and what little he did spend he certainly did not spend sleeping. Hector took up a lot of space, no surprise there, and snored, also unsurprising. Ceniro picked a quiet spot on the deck where he didn't seem to be in anyone's way and curled up in his cloak, reviewing what he could of the battles on the farseer over and over, trying to find some way he could have changed things.

He was fairly certain that whatever magic Nergal had used to kill Lord Elbert was beyond any understanding; he hadn't talked to Erk or Canas or Lucius yet, or even Serra and Priscilla, but he had a rudimentary understanding of how magic worked in general – or at least its effects on soldiers, it was his job as a tactician, after all. And nothing he had ever heard of worked like what he had seen, not even black magic.

So he couldn't blame himself for Elbert's actual death. But perhaps he could take some responsibility for the events that led up to it…

Lyn came up to him an hour later. "Florina tells me you're not sleeping."

He blinked at her with aching eyes. "How does she know?"

"I didn't ask. Probably was passing by and saw. Ceniro…"

He waited.

"It's not your fault, you know that, right?"

"Lord Eliwood asked me to come on this quest. I volunteered to help. He… Well, his father is gone, so we didn't exactly succeed, did we?"

"That's because it's a bigger quest than we thought it was," she said. "When did you start calling him 'lord' again?" He didn't answer. "Don't. He doesn't want that. I don't know him all that well, but he would be very bothered by it."

"He's also lost in grieving…"

"Which means he needs us more than ever; he doesn't need us to run away because we think he needs space or because we're afraid of him or of hurting him. He does need space, but he needs us to be there, too. Anyway, you're avoiding the point."

Ceniro sighed. "I just… I know I could have prevented it. Somehow."

"How?" When he didn't answer, she went on. "I saw your face during that showdown. You were thinking that we were completely hung out to dry by fate. We can't fight two demonically-powerful magic users, an assassin, and a _dragon_ of all things."

"But… while I don't regret any of the things that happened up until the Dragon's Gate, not really… I mean, I think they were all necessary… And I try to live without… regrets… Maybe I could have done things differently, we could have gotten there sooner, Nergal wouldn't have been ready…"

"Not true," Lyn said. "Being there sooner would have meant nothing. Nergal was waiting for Ninian to come back. And we didn't know; what could we have done? Left her and half the group back while going in with the other half to rescue Lord Elbert? We might have failed entirely doing that." She leaned in and shook her finger in her face. "Besides, we know now. What you are doing is absolutely useless. We won't make the same mistake twice, and you are not analyzing what happened to prepare yourself for next time – and there will be a next time! What you are doing is self-flagellation. You want to live without regrets? You are doing it wrong."

Ceniro sighed long and put his head back, looking up at the mast towering above him. The stars were hidden behind clouds as usual. "…You're right."

Lyn nodded and scooted closer to him. "Can I borrow some of your cloak? It's cold out here and I left mine in the cabin."

He held it out to her, wordlessly, and she snuggled up next to him, making herself comfortable between his body and a barrel full of rainwater. Ordinarily, he would have been self-conscious and shy about having a beautiful, brave, strong woman leaning casually into him, but it just wasn't the time to be thinking about such things.

He put the farseer away and clasped his hands on his knees. "I can't promise I won't think about it. But Eliwood needs more than that from me. So I'll keep trying to do my best for him, whatever he decides to do next."

"Good call," Lyn said. "You know, you're not the only one thinking that. Remember, I said to him I would try to prevent him from losing a parent? And I'm sure Hector is pretty upset about it too."

"Hector's asleep in my cabin with Wil and Guy. He snores."

Lyn giggled. "Is that why you came up here?"

"Sort of. I think he is pretty exhausted, though. He spent all today shepherding us back to the shore."

"True, I don't think we could have pulled through so smoothly without him. He really is better than he appears at first glance."

"I like him."

"I like him too. And you're right. He's worked hard, being a strong leader for the rest of us, he deserves a break to snore. Eliwood's probably not sleeping either. I peeked on my way up here… he's just sitting there, holding his father's hand. It's… heartbreaking."

"Did you ever…?"

"No," and Lyn's voice grew hoarse. "The Taliver poisoned the Lorca's water supply. By the time they attacked, we were all too sick to fight, but it was too late by the time we discovered the poison… My father sent me away on a stumbling horse, and I was found delirious by Djute scouts a day later." She hesitated, and Ceniro could feel the tightness in her small body. "By the time I woke up ten days later… my people were all dead and buried."

He bit his lip, and shuffled around a bit to put his arm around her. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be," she said shortly, though she leaned her head on his chest and he tried to ignore the little thrill that ran through him as she did so. "I already told you, I will return someday and destroy them, though I'll show them more mercy than they showed the Lorca. And you and the Caelin knights and any who choose to come will be with me."

"We will."

She relaxed a little. "Just as we will be at Eliwood's side as he takes on Nergal and the Black Fang. Though I think Eliwood is less… interested in revenge than I am."

Ceniro shrugged a little. "He might be, but he seems the kind of person to be more interested in protecting the remaining people he loves, I think. Though taking revenge and stopping… um… the end of the world as we know it look a lot like the same thing from here."

"Anyway, the Taliver will be child's play for you after the Black Fang."

"That's probably true."

After a short silence, she spoke again. "So is it just me, or were you avoiding me since we met again in Caelin?"

He flinched, and he knew she felt it. "Not at first… just being busy. Then you were mad at me for staying with Eliwood to talk to pirates…"

"But I got over that…"

"I know, but I was… afraid, still."

"Afraid of me? Ceniro, you are a silly, silly man."

"Well… how was I supposed to know? You can hold a grudge when you want to."

"So… you were still afraid of me when we were travelling across the Dread Isle?"

"Um… a bit, yes."

She snorted, a sound no normal Lycian noblewoman would ever make. Luckily she was no normal noblewoman, Lycian or otherwise. "Ceniro…"

It was hard to make out her face in the dark of night as there were few lights on deck, and so it completely caught him by surprise when she reached up and kissed him on the cheek.

He swallowed hard and tried not to breathe. Of course, that didn't last very long. "Are… are we starting there, then? Where we left off… last year?"

"Why not? We may have changed, both of us, but that doesn't mean that our bond has. Does it?"

"I-I don't know."

"What, so you don't love me anymore? I distinctly remember you saying you loved me."

"I do!" he spoke louder than he meant to, and quieted quickly. "I do. You're still the most amazing woman I ever met. I'm just… figuring things out still, about myself. Just wait; I'll give up my wandering ways to stay with you forever yet."

"But what if I don't want you to give up your wandering ways? What if I want to join you on them?"

"What will become of Caelin?"

"Ummm… maybe I can make Kent the new Marquess after my grandfather's passing. Of course I will certainly stay while my grandfather lives, and we'd make frequent visits back there even after. But I'd be a terrible Marquess anyway."

"But you're a natural leader…"

"Of the non-existent Lorca, perhaps… and of the dozen survivors, none would follow a woman…"

"Their loss," Ceniro said lightly, and she smiled against his shoulder.

They sat in silence for a long time, perhaps an hour, before Ceniro dropped off.

.

He woke up in his bunk. Guy was meditating on his own, Wil was drooling into his coarse pillow, and Hector was nowhere to be seen.

When they landed in Badon later in the day, Ceniro took it on himself to thank Fargus for the ride on behalf of the group, and Fargus gave a sympathetic grimace and told him not to worry about it. He also made it clear that Dart would be travelling with the group as long as they had need of him, which brightened Ceniro's day a little.

The Davros then set sail again immediately, for Fargus wanted to pick off as many Black Fang ships as he could if they were to be found.

It being so late in the day, the first thing that happened was Marcus, Oswin, and Kent went off to find lodging for all thirty-odd members of their strange little private army. They rented out an entire inn, choosing one with a large stable for the horses and Merlinus's cart.

Eliwood was actually present at the evening meal, sitting off in a corner. His father's body was upstairs, embalmed for travel; Ceniro had the vague idea the lord intended to take the body home to Pherae for burial. His friends rallied around him; Lyn, Hector, Ninian, and Nils chose to sit at the same table, and Lyn flagged down Ceniro and made him sit with them as well.

Ceniro wasn't sure that he could, or should, even after his discussion with Lyn the night before. But the look on her face, though friendly, brooked no argument, and he took his place at the table quietly between her and Hector.

"How are you and Nils feeling?" he asked Ninian.

"I'm much better, thank you," she answered. "I remember everything now, and… I'm sorry I worried you."

"It's all right," Lyn said. "Long time no see, Nils. Have you grown?"

"It's wonderful to see you too, Lady Lyn," Nils chirped in return, both hands clamped around a mug filled with warm milk. "It feels like it's been much longer than a year, doesn't it?"

"Hey, care to talk about things the rest of us can follow?" Hector demanded.

Nils stared at Hector with an unimpressed look. "Who's he?"

Lyn giggled. "Oh, that's Marquess Ostia's brother, Hector. He acts mean, but he's actually quite decent if you give him a chance."

Hector glanced at her, befuddled. "'Acts mean' seems pretty mean to me!"

Lyn ignored him and gestured to Eliwood. "And maybe you remember, this is…"

"Yup," Nils said. "Eliwood, right? The one who helped Ninian. You're so much like Elbert, your appearance, bearing, even your voice… You're truly his son."

Eliwood looked up. "You met my father?"

Nils nodded. "At the Dragon's Gate. We were locked up together, and later they locked up Salir with us too. Elbert managed to set us free, and we made it to the coast and escaped in a small boat… but I was tossed out in a storm." He glared into his mug. "When I woke up, I had washed up back on Valor. I had to make my way back to the Dragon's Gate for food, and I hid in the ruins for a time. When you showed up, I felt danger rising, and raced to find you. I… I saw everything." He sniffed. "I'm truly sorry that we could not save Elbert…"

Ninian touched his hand. "Nils…"

"When we rescued Ninian from the boat, she had lost her memory," Lyn said. "Couldn't even remember her own name. But what a horrible thing we did, taking her right back to her captors… Ceniro and I talked about it, and we're not sure what else we could have done that wouldn't have ended even worse, but we… there must have been a way to avoid it…"

"Lady Lyn," Ninian broke in, reaching across Nils to stop Lyn. "Lady Lyn, you did nothing wrong. As you say, any other path would have been fraught with equal danger. If only I had been stronger… When I lost Nils, I became lost inside myself. If I had known who I was, I would have been able to help…"

"Ninian's power is greater than mine," Nils said. "But it costs her more to use it. I think Nergal may have exploited that while we were his captives."

Eliwood looked up without raising his head. "Was he after you because you have the power to call dragons?"

"No, I believe it's because only we have the power to open the Dragon's Gate," Nils corrected him. "Nergal can call them on his own…"

"Are you serious?" interjected Hector.

"…but they can't go through the Gate unless it's open," Nils finished, with a reproving look at Hector. "And even then it takes an enormous amount of quintessence."

"Quintessence?" Ceniro asked. "Is that a form of magic?"

Nils squirmed. "Kiiiiind of… it's more like… spirit energy. Quintessence is just what Nergal called it. Possibly the essence of life itself. He takes it from people, so he can open the Gate; he's been stealing it for years, maybe decades. Think of it like… Ninian and I are the lock to the Dragon's Gate, and quintessence is the key…"

"What happens to those whose quintessence is taken?" Eliwood asked in a low voice.

Nils' voice faltered. "They… they die…"

Eliwood nodded as if he had expected that.

"…Neither Ninian nor I have that kind of power; I don't think anyone does except Nergal. All we have is our power to sense danger. Anyway, Nergal still needs quite a bit of quintessence, so he sent his henchman Ephidel to Marquess Laus to plant the seeds of rebellion in his mind."

"But why?" Hector asked.

"It seems the quintessence in each person varies in strength. A person of strong mind and body has hundreds of times more energy than the average person," Nils explained. "It sounds like there aren't many people like that, though. It took too long for Nergal to find people with enough strength. Although it would take time, Nergal said the easiest way to get that much quintessence was by starting a war."

"What a black-hearted vulture," Hector growled. "Planning to make up for quality with quantity? He must have no humanity left."

"Ephidel eventually returned, bringing Marquess Pherae with him to the Dragon's Gate. Nergal was happy; even though his plans for war had been halted by Marquess Pherae's interference, he took so much quintessence from the knights travelling with Elbert… He knew he would get even better from Elbert himself…"

"Nils!" Lyn said sharply, glancing at Eliwood.

"Oh…" Nils faltered again. "I-I'm sorry… Lord Eliwood."

"It's all right," Eliwood murmured. "I had the feeling… when we found my father, that his knights were no more… I can't think of them yet… James, Selona, Harken, Ivan, Beatrice, Catarina… They will be missed, too." He buried his face in his hands and leaned his elbows on the table. "Fatherrrr…" Hector rested a hand on his shoulder.

"Lord Elbert told us he had a son," Ninian said softly. "He said you were blessed with natural fighting ability. But he also told us you were compassionate and disdained fighting. He told us that his son would be a better ruler than he was. He told us that he would sooner sacrifice himself than see his homeland, Lycia, embroiled in the flames of war."

Eliwood smeared his eyes and peered at them. "That's…"

"When we'd lost all hope at the Dragon's Gate, your father always spoke to us of happy things," Nils said. "…Well, he mainly spoke of his cherished son and his dear wife, but Ninian and I… We loved him very much. His stories about his family… …They saved us."

"F-father," Eliwood mumbled, and got up blindly from the table, moving towards the stairs to the rooms.

"Come on," Hector muttered to the others, and jerked his head towards the door. "We should let him be alone a while." They followed him outside into the cool summer night.

Hector leaned against one of the pillars that held up the awning, Ceniro took a place on the bench next to him, and Lyn paced in front of them. "Shouldn't you have gone with him, Hector?"

"Nah," Hector said, his eyes closed. "Thought about it, but… there was someone else who looked about ready to start crying, too."

"Huh?" Nils looked around from where he was settling himself beside Ceniro. "You mean Ninian? Where is she? She isn't bothering him, is she?"

"Calm down, kid," Hector said. "She won't bother him. She's been through a lot, too. They'll comfort each other."

"I don't need you to tell me what she's been through," Nils hissed, and Hector peered down at the child and blinked in disinterested confusion.

He was distracted by Lyn poking him in the chest. "Hectorrrr… are you playing matchmaker?"

He blinked at her too. "No, I just- Why would that be your first conclusion?"

Lyn giggled. "I think they'd be good for each other."

"Women," Hector snorted, closing his eyes again.

"Wait, you're suggesting- My sister is not going to date Lord Eliwood," Nils said firmly.

Lyn tilted her head at him. "Are you suggesting Lord Eliwood isn't good enough for her?"

"It's not that, it's just that… she can't get involved with anyone. Even him."

"I'm not meaning to project, but I'm sure if they got married, there would be room for you at Castle Pherae," Lyn said, smiling.

"That's not what I meant… Anyway, can we talk about more important things? Like, what do we do now? Now you know the danger Elibe is in…"

"I wonder what happened to Nergal," Ceniro said. "It looked like Lord Elbert stabbed him right in the heart, but there was no body, and you talk about him as if he's still here, so… He's still alive, isn't he?"

"His wounds will not kill him," Nils said. "He uses quintessence to heal himself, as well, and his body does not age…"

"He's not human, is he?" Lyn said. "Not anymore, at least."

"No, he's… I don't know, he's- wait." Nils sprang to his feet.

"What is it?" Hector said, uncrossing his arms.

"Call everyone, they're coming!" Nils cried. "Dangerous men. I think, Black Fang."

"Eliwood deserves more time off," Lyn began.

"So we'll just handle this ourselves, right?" Hector grinned at her.

Ceniro pulled out the farseer, but even as the flash went up, Eliwood came clattering out of the inn door with his cloak swirling behind him. His eyes were not noticeably red. Inside the inn there was a noise of chairs and urgent voices and armour.

"Eliwood!" Hector cried, startled. "I thought you…"

"Here you are! I'm fine. I mean, I can fight. And we'll have to, Ninian tells me there's an enemy force about to attack the town." He turned to Ceniro. "We must move quickly to protect the villagers as much as possible. Let's target the enemy commander as the primary objective." Their forces began to run out of the inn, lining up around them in a circle, waiting for Ceniro's orders.

"Agreed," Ceniro said. "Nils, can you go make sure Ninian stays safe?"

"But you know how useful I can be, and you'll have other guards for her, right?"

"That's true," Ceniro said. "All right. But can you go make sure she's safe now, anyway? And then come back. We'll need you."

Nils gave the first real smile Ceniro had seen out of him since they had met at the Dragon's Gate. "You got it."

But even as Ceniro arranged his forces in preparation to send them out to meet the Black Fang, it was only Ninian who returned.

"Ninian?" Eliwood asked. "You shouldn't be here. We sent Nils to you…"

"Lord Eliwood, please, let me help," she said. "Ceniro, you will let me help, won't you? Nils lent me his power. I… I am strong enough to aid you in battle. I can do the same thing that he does for our allies."

"I…" Ceniro glanced helpless at Eliwood, who stared at him back, wide-eyed and noncommittal. "All right. Stay away from the front lines, though."

"As long as I am at Lord Eliwood's side, I will be fine," she said serenely.

"Fine," Ceniro said. "Florina, Wil, you'll be spotters for Eliwood this battle. Let him fight what I tell him to fight, but make sure nothing sneaks up on him or Ninian."

"You got it," Wil said, saluting sloppily.

Ceniro called more orders and, seeing that Eliwood was in good hands, sent him northwards to repel the invaders while he sent Hector and Lyn towards the centre of town. The townsfolk were already scurrying indoors, seeing the heavily armed and armoured groups running through the streets. That would make things simpler. He himself went towards the south end of town with some of the group's mercenaries – Guy, Raven, Canas, Bartre, and Legault.

The former Black Fang member hadn't made a peep of objection to anything Ceniro had asked him to do, and he knew Matthew had thoroughly grilled him and cleared him from suspicion, so he felt confident in fighting alongside him.

He was in the process of directing the group into taking out a pair of wyvern riders when there was a clatter of hooves, and a lady on a horse – a lady on a horse, dressed in white robes and white armour, and wielding a spear that almost looked too large for her – came up to him from behind. "Are you the general of these mercenaries? You are defending the town?" she asked, and Ceniro slowly lowered his staff.

"Sort of, and yes," he said. "Are you offering to help?" Behind them, Canas was tangling one wyvern rider in black tendrils, while Bartre engaged the rider in combat, and Legault snuck up on both of them and shanked the wyvern rider in the back. Meanwhile, Raven gave Guy a foot-hold to catapult onto the other wyvern, and the two swordsmen moved smoothly in tandem to take down both beast and rider despite their enemies' heavy lance and snapping jaws.

"You have my lance," she said. "My name is Isadora of Pherae."

"Pherae?" Ceniro's eyes widened. "Lord Eliwood is fighting towards the north side of town, if you would like to give him support. General Marcus is fighting more towards the centre, if you want to report to him instead."

"You have my thanks," she said. "I shall find Lord Eliwood immediately, sir tactician, and obey his commands for the rest of this fight."

"Eliwood, you have a friendly incoming," Ceniro said. "Her name is Isadora."

"Isadora? What on Elibe is she doing here?" Eliwood gasped with the exertion of battle as he ducked. "Don't tell me something's happened to Mother…"

"Focus. She'll fight beside you and give you whatever news she brings when she's done," Ceniro said firmly.

"Yes, sir," Eliwood said dryly.

They moved forward and encountered more resistance, but things in the centre were loosening a bit. Ceniro redirected Sain, Lowen, and Fiora south, sending Raven north in exchange, and took the opportunity to follow up on something that he was really remiss in finding out.

"How's Salir?" he asked as the green knight trotted up.

"She's fine," Sain told him. "She's a lot more fine than I expected."

"What happened?"

"Well, after Darin and Ephidel dragged her to Valor, she got thrown in with Lord Elbert and Ninian and Nils, because apparently the Black Fang didn't want to deal with, uh, Darin's depravities while we were on their tail. And whenever Darin came around, Lord Elbert told him where to shove it. Then when he set Ninian and Nils free, she was free as well. But they caught her again, except… they put her back in the same cell with him. And when we attacked, they brought Lord Elbert up for their… thing, and she managed to escape in the confusion."

"They don't seem very organized," Ceniro said, and told Lucius to cover Dorcas while Dorcas went to take out a soldier pinning Wil behind a crate with a lance. Eliwood was doing fine, and Ninian was keeping to her word and out of trouble. Whenever anyone targeted her, Eliwood engaged them in combat first, and if he was busy, Florina ran them down.

Sain fended off an axe blow and carved a deep gouge into his attacker's arm. "They certainly don't have anyone like you with them, that's for sure. And hey, she's gorgeous and spunky and clever, but to their eyes, I bet all they see is 'peasant girl'. Which sometimes saves her, and sometimes I have to save her."

"This time, you did both," Ceniro said, and Sain nodded and grinned.

"Is Sain bothering you?" Kent asked, and Ceniro chuckled.

"No, I asked. Things are covered here, Kent. You'll have an enemy archer beginning to take pot-shots at you shortly; Erk, when that happens, you're to take him out."

When they reached the edge of the town, the enemy melted away into the night as if they had never been there. The farseer sputtered and lost all enemy avatars. Ceniro made a face at it.

"Dart, Matthew, Legault, Fiora, you stay on the edge of town and keep watch for the next three hours. The rest of us, meet back at the inn."

Debriefing didn't take long, and soon the tired soldiers were unbuckling armour, cleaning weapons, bedding down the horses and Florina's pegasus, and talking placidly about bed. It seemed the fight had cleared out some of the depression left over from the Dread Isle, and things were more back to normal.

Even Eliwood. "Hey, you okay?" Hector asked, as Ninian bowed to them all and hurried indoors, no doubt to reassure Nils she was all right.

"Mm. Sorry to worry you." Even his eyes seemed to be restored to their usual brightness.

"Don't push yourself," Lyn said. "We can handle things if you want to take a few more days…"

Eliwood shook his head. "There will be time for proper mourning later. For now, the best thing I can do for my father is continue on in his name. I'll do everything I can to stop Nergal and protect our lands."

"All right," Hector said. "Sounds like you have a plan already. Spit it out."

Eliwood glanced at him calmly. "We have to see Marquess Ostia."

"We do?"

"After all we've learned, we can't not tell him, can we?" Eliwood asked. "Back me up, here, Ceniro."

"I guess…" Hector trailed off, and looked more unenthusiastic about the idea than he'd looked about anything else on the journey.

"What's wrong?" Lyn asked, looking between them.

"Hector doesn't want to meet Lord Uther," Eliwood explained, but a smile was tickling the corners of his mouth. "He hasn't been sending messages home and is afraid to confront him, right?"

"What!" Hector exclaimed. "And how did you expect me to send him any messages when we're traipsing about the isles like merchants on holiday?" But a smile was playing with his face, too.

Eliwood laughed heartily, a full belly laugh that Ceniro hadn't heard from him since they started the journey, since before Marquess Santaruz's assassination. "He is going to be sooo mad!"

"Gah! C'mere!" Hector lunged at Eliwood, who dodged, but after a moment or two, Hector grabbed Eliwood and began giving him a noogie. Eliwood flailed, and they were both laughing giddily.

"Well, they're in good spirits," Lyn said to Ceniro with a smile.

"It's good to see," he said, smiling himself. "We can carry on much more easily. I doubt he's forgetting anything, or hurting less… it's just locked away where he can deal with it later." His smile faded slightly when he thought of how Eliwood would still probably not sleep properly for days, except out of exhaustion, and despite his iron self-control, he would probably still cry often when no one was looking. Which was not a bad thing, but Ceniro knew he would have to guard the lord's life even more carefully now, and keep him as busy as he could without seeming interfering.

And now they were engaged in an impromptu wrestling match, and he couldn't help but laugh. "Marcus, is this the sort of thing they would do on their monthly sparring matches?"

"Of course. In addition to proper matches, of course."

"May I ask what news Isadora brought?"

"She has not yet spoken to Lord Eliwood, so if you would like, in a moment she will give her report to us all."

"Right. Lyn, would you…?"

"Sure," Lyn said, and began poking the two lords. "Boys, people are going to start talking again in a moment, and you might want to pay attention."

Hector ran a hand through his hair, which had been messed up beyond recognition, and straightened. Eliwood got in one last playful swing and straightened his cloak. "Sorry, what?"

Isadora stepped forward and saluted. "Lord Eliwood! I am glad to find you well."

"As well as can be expected, yes," Eliwood said, his face serious again. "How is Mother?"

"She is well. General Marcus… took the liberty of sending an express messenger to Pherae with news… She said not a word as she was told of Lord Elbert's death, but gave her full attention to the messenger. Then, instantly, she commanded me to bring you this sword and serve you as you see fit." She offered her sword hilt-first and knelt sharply, with military efficiency.

"But… the castle defenses will be short-changed…" Eliwood said slowly. And with the world quickly turning topsy-turvy, leaving any castle under-defended was foolishness. Even Castle Caelin, while robbed of its five best fighters, still had a reasonably large contingent to man its walls. "Isadora, about Harken…"

"Lord Eliwood…please… Understand your mother's feelings. Lord Elbert is not coming home. Sir Harken is not coming home. All your mother can do now is pray for your continued safety. 'Obey your father's dying wish.' That is her message to you, and I have delivered it."

Marcus stepped in before Eliwood could get too caught up in that. "Sir, if I may make a suggestion… why not petition Ostia for reinforcements to guard Castle Pherae?"

"Good idea," said Eliwood after a moment. "It would ease my mother's mind to bow to her wishes, I suppose…"

"It's that thinking that makes you Lord Eliwood," Isadora said, rising and returning her sword to her side.

"Welcome aboard, Isadora," Eliwood said. "Our battles are nothing like anything you've ever seen before. And our group is a band of wild misfits and assorted knights. Think you'll fit in?"

"If General Marcus and Lowen can fit in, so can I," she said, with a small smile. "And I am ready to face your challenges. I will serve with my very life."

"We'll try not to let it come to that," Ceniro said. "Hi, I'm Ceniro, and I'm Eliwood's tactician."

"You're awfully young, sir," she said, looking him up and down. At least she didn't add 'and peasant-ish', like some people did.

"He gets that a lot," Lyn said. "But he's the best. You'll see."

"I'm sure I will," Isadora said. "General Marcus, where shall I go?"

"Ceniro?"

"It's fine. Just go with the others. Is there another bed available?"

"I shall find one. Thank you."

.

Ceniro was pulling off his boots in the room he was sharing with Matthew, who was still out, when there was a knock on the door. "Hello?"

The door cracked open, and Hector's blue head came through the gap. "Hey, Ceniro, I wanted to talk to you for a moment."

"About Eliwood?"

Hector came into the room, closed the door, and sat on Matthew's bed. "Nah, you don't need to worry about him. Despite what you may think, he's as strong as there is. If he says he can handle it, he can handle it. Trust me, we've been friends since we were both small kids at boarding school in Ostia. You're not having the greatest run of luck either. I'll wager you never thought things would turn into such a terrible mess, did you?"

"No… not at all. I… Plots to dominate the world are really not my scene, you know? At most, I was expecting more nobles playing games, like Lyn's grand-uncle last year."

"Yeah… Me too. Well, except that if it were that easy, Lord Elbert would have been far easier to find. Anyway, listen: if it gets to be too much, you can leave at any time. You're a reliable and dependable tactician, but… You're not our servant, you know? If you think our task impossible, you should get out. You're as smart as they come. I know you don't need me to tell you that."

"No, I'm all right," Ceniro assured him. "I want to see this through. Lycia's my home, too, and… Um, I think you need me still."

Hector chuckled. "True enough. Let's get some sleep, okay? Gotta rest when you can. …That's even more true in the middle of a campaign like this."

"Agreed," Ceniro said, and with talk like that, he couldn't hold back a great big yawn.

Hector nodded and left. Ceniro was out like a light five minutes later.

.

Author's note: See you in Volume 4.


End file.
